My Salvation
by sesshluver
Summary: Goliath no longer trusts humans because of Elisa's betrayal. One woman could change that. Goliath/OFC, Oberon/OFC WIP
1. Little Orphan Annie

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the Gargoyles characters. I only claim ownership for Mirah, Amahra, and the storyline.

Chapter One: Little Orphan Annie

Xanatos told his driver to pull over next to a dark alleyway. This was the place his informant had told him about. Exiting the car, he heard angry shouting and flesh meeting flesh violently. He patted his hip, insuring the small firearm was still holstered where he'd put it when he got the call. It was always advantageous to be prepared. He calmly walked to the entrance of the narrow divide between buildings, darkness obscuring the surroundings. He could faintly make out two figures, one quite small and definitely female with what appeared to be a humped back, and the other big and burly, obviously male. They were fighting and it looked like the female was winning. Most people would find this odd, but Xanatos had never been most people and showed no surprise at the fight's progress.

The man was thrown against a wall and stumbled back to his feet, still shouting at the petite figure facing him. A fist flew through the air, connecting with a sickening crunch into the man's face. He cried out in pain, grabbing what Xanatos assumed was his nose which looked as if it was bleeding profusely. Mostly likely it was broken. The mystery man looked up just in time to see another punch coming his way before it too connected, and he fell to the ground, out cold. The female spat on the man before turning toward the entrance of the alleyway and stopped suddenly when she spotted her silent observer. Cautiously, she approached the stranger, prepared to flee if necessary.

"Who are you," she questioned wearily, eyes roving, calculating a plan of escape. There was a definite aura of power and control about the man, and despite her obvious strength, she didn't think it wise to challenge him.

"My name is Xanatos. A man by the name of Falcon sent me here," he replied casually. He didn't want to scare the poor thing. He noticed what he thought was a flash of recognition and smiled kindly (he hoped) at her tense figure. Sometimes he still wondered how he'd become so soft. Before his wife and son came and the gargoyles moved back permanently, he would have not been here, ready to give someone help without it being completely in his favor.

"I know who you are. Why would Falcon send you? You're not from the lab," she shot back quickly, clearly still suspicious of his actions. He couldn't really blame her. From what Falcon had told him, life hadn't been easy for her._ What ever they did to that poor girl is beyond imagining, Xanatos. I've seen lab animals treated more humanely than she was._

"He and I are old acquaintances. I've come to offer you a job. I hear your skills are quite unique," he answered. Truly, if what his old colleague said was true, this slip of a girl was in danger if she wasn't taken somewhere safe soon. Her abilities were quite extraordinary and highly sought after. He wouldn't be surprised if the man she'd just dispatched had been a crony of some crook trying to get her skills working for his own. At least with her under his and the gargoyles protection, they might be able to find out more about what happened to her and why.

"What kind of job? And what abilities do you think I have," she asked, though her voice did sound much less weary and far more curious than before. Maybe getting her back to his company headquarters wouldn't be so hard after all. At least she was willing to listen.

"I need someone handy with technology, especially computers and combining it with magic. Your skills will be quite useful," he supplied. He purposefully left out the part about her mutation. He wanted her to feel comfortable enough to tell him and the clan on her own. He watched as she finally stepped into the light of the streetlamp. He was shocked to see how young she was. She didn't look much older than seventeen. She was small, both in stature and weight. Her body looked almost sickly from obvious lack of food. The other thing he noticed was her eyes. They were the most amazing shade of light ocean blue with an outer ring of dark lavender, part of her mutation he assumed. A pair of backpack straps explained the hump.

"What kind of pay are we talking about," she inquired. Xanatos had to try very hard to keep himself from smiling in triumph and relief. If she was asking about money it was most likely that she was going to accept his offer.

"It pays five hundred a week, plus room and board. Since you know who I am, you must also know about the castle that sits on the roof of my company and the resident gargoyles there. You will be working mostly with them and living there as well," he replied. He could practically see her brain calculating the pros and cons of his offer and her conclusion that it was worth a try.

"All right, I accept. Name's Mirah," she responded, holding out her hand for him to shake. He clasped it firmly, sealing the deal. He released her and turned, gesturing for her to precede him to the car. She hesitated a moment before striding resolutely to the waiting vehicle. Opening the door for her, Xanatos watched as she slid into the back seat before closing it. He walked around the back and got in on the other side. He noticed she was fidgeting and began to ask her questions in the hopes of distracting her.

"Falcon told me a little about the lab. I know what was done to you, but I was hoping for specifics when we got back. I was thinking of having a conference with the gargoyle clan that lives with me. I imagine they would be highly interested in your story," he began, paying careful attention to her body language. He didn't want to agitate her. Falcon had told him the lab was a delicate subject with her.

"That's fine. Maybe once you know my story you can help me. Knowing Falcon, he thought the same thing. That's probably the only reason he told you about me," the girl murmured, looking out the window of the vehicle, taking in the passing scenery. He noticed she wasn't fidgeting quite as much; a good sign. They rode the rest of the way to his company in silence, both lost in their own thoughts.

Once they reached his headquarters, they both exited the car and made their way up the short flight of stairs to the entrance. Nodding to the security guards flanking the automatic doors, he guided Mirah in and toward the elevators. The ride up was as silent as the vehicle had been. It seemed like an eternity until they reached the top floor, the elevator opening to a rather plush office. Striding toward a pair of oak doors directly across the room, Xanatos swung them open and beckoned for the girl to follow him.

They walked down a rather large hallway, more like a corridor, to a flight of stairs. The stairway was narrow and dim. What little light there was were from small wall lamps every ten feet, casting an eerie glow. By the time they reached the top, Mirah was slightly out of breath from the exercise. It didn't help that she was still recovering from the fight in the alleyway. The man might have lost, but he had been pretty big and very angry, making for one hell of a workout. She noticed another set of large wooden doors a little ways down the newest corridor, far bigger than the first set in what she assumed had been Xanatos's office. It looked like this was the entrance to the castle that rested on top of the man's building. When they reached the newest set of doors, Xanatos turned to her and spoke.

"Are you ready? The clan already knows to expect me. I told them where I was going to before I left and they said they wanted to know the details when I returned," he spoke, preparing her to face a group of complete strangers. She wasn't nervous because they were gargoyles. The world had become decidedly pro-gargoyle after the New York clan saved a train full of passengers after their recent exposure to the human world. She even knew of two humans who had married gargoyles last year. The weddings, held right after sunset, had been highly publicized and hailed as a coming of age for humanity.

"I'm ready," she said, self-consciously smoothing her tattered clothing in a futile effort to appear more presentable.

Goliath stared around the great hall moodily, back braced against cool stone, arms crossed. His clan should be on patrol tonight, but Xanatos had run out saying he was going to pick up some girl downtown that his colleague had called him about. He wanted the clan to be here when he returned so they could talk with her. He didn't see why the man thought it was so imperative for them to meet this human, but apparently there was something important concerning her. He could see the others were impatient as well, but probably because they were curious and wanted to find out why Xanatos had been so adamant they stay.

"I wonder how much longer they're going to be," Brooklyn broke the silence, not asking anyone in particular.

"I'm sure it will be soon, laddie," Hudson's deep brogue answered. Goliath just snorted quietly under his breath. He didn't really care. Since Elisa had run off with Matt, he hadn't been all that happy with the human race in general. He still protected the city; it was his duty after all. He just didn't have the same love for it as before. Being betrayed tended to do that to someone. _I don't love you. I was confused, caught in the moment. Besides, we're not even from the same species. It would never work_. Her words kept ringing in his ears, even a year and a half later.

It had all been a bunch of bull anyway. Not more than six months later, two humans had married gargoyles, throwing any excuses Elisa had out the window. The world had celebrated with the happy couples, showing their support. He knew the real reason she'd left him for her human partner. He had followed her back to her apartment the night she'd ended it and listened as she and the other detective talked.

_"So I guess you told him. How did he take it," Matt asked worriedly as Elisa walked in the door of her apartment. She took off her jacket and hung it on the hook by the door, throwing her keys in a bowl resting on a small side table before turning to her lover and kissing him passionately. Pulling back, Goliath watched the smile of satisfaction appear on the woman's face._

_"He took it exactly how I thought he would, hard," she replied, letting go of Matt and strolling into her small kitchen. She busied herself with fixing some tea as she continued talking to her male companion._

_"Don't get me wrong; I do feel bad. But let's face it. Goliath and I weren't going to last. For one thing, he's not even human. I mean, it was fun when it was a big secret and all, but now everyone knows about them. I sort of lost my enthusiasm after that. I don't think I can handle a relationship with a thing, no matter what the public opinion is," she said casually. It was obvious that Elisa didn't really care about what she'd done to him by leading him on for the last six years. It appeared the danger and thrill of trying to keep the clan's existence a secret had been the real allure._

_"But what about the clan? Aren't you going to stay friends with them," Matt voiced a small bit of shame evident in his voice. He hadn't wanted it to end like this. He loved Elisa, but he also cared for the clan. So had the Elisa he'd fallen for. Maybe he'd really fallen for a mask. He hoped not._

_"I think it's just better if we sever all ties. I like them, but I'm tired," had been her answer. Goliath had heard enough. Betrayal heavy in his heart, he had turned and flown home._

Even after so long, it still stung. Goliath could understand about not wanting to be with him. But the biggest hurt had been Elisa's complete disregard for the clan and what she had done to them. It hadn't been easy for him or the clan to accept a human in their presence. They had connected with what they thought was another being who cared about protecting those around her. Each year that she had been with them, she had been integrated more and more into clan life. They had all seen her as one of their own. Having to explain her desertion of them had been difficult, especially with Lexington. He was the most emotional of their group and had seen Elisa as a parental figure.

Goliath was yanked from his internal musings by the creak of the great oaken doors that allowed entrance to the great hall. He glanced up just as Xanatos walked in with a small figure behind him. As the man stepped to the side, the female was revealed to the clan's gaze and he had to keep himself from displaying his surprise for all to see. She was quite young and small. She couldn't have been more than a few inches over five feet, mid-chest if she stood next to him. Her eyes were striking and framed by thick eyebrows that were just short of being overbearing. Her round found was complimented by straight, shoulder length light brown hair and blunt cut bangs. She had high cheekbones and a small, straight nose. The tattered closes she wore were not able to completely hide the body underneath them. It was obvious she was too thin, but she had high, firm, full breasts, tapered waist, and nicely flared hips. Despite her height, she had extremely long legs. Goliath imagined she would have a beautiful figure if she wasn't so malnourished. The sound of Xanatos's voice snapped him out of his daze.

"I would like to introduce Mirah…" Xanatos began, trailing off when he realized he did not know the girl's last name. Looking at her expectantly, he waited for her to fill in the blanks.

"Rhoder. My name is Mirah Lynn Rhoder," she finished, eyeing each of the gargoyles in turn. The rest of the clan introduced themselves, welcoming the stranger into their midst. Goliath just watched quietly from his corner. Finally, he couldn't take anymore of the inane chatter. Clearing his throat and silencing the murmuring, he began to speak.

"Why exactly was it so important for us to meet this girl, Xanatos? She doesn't appear to possess any special gift that was imperative we know of," he asked roughly. He just didn't have it in him to act nice, especially having just found her attractive. He didn't need another betrayal so soon after the last. He heard the rest of his clan voice their own puzzlement as to the importance of the girl. When she finally answered, he was pleasantly surprised by the sound of her voice. It was deep and husky. Because of her size, he had been expecting an unpleasantly high voice.

"Because I'm a human gargoyle hybrid," she answered, shocking everyone in the room save for the only lone human male. He just smiled amusedly.

Hey everyone! Sorry it's been sooo long since I've last posted a story. I seem to have gotten my muse back so watch out for more. Remember, read and review because it helps me come up with new ideas.

Sesshluver


	2. Past Recollections

Chapter Two:

Chapter Two: Past Recollections

Goliath could hear the various gasps that filled the room from his clan members at Mirah's confession. He had never heard of such a thing happening. This girl looked all human to him. She had no distinguishing gargoyles features. How could she claim to have gargoyle blood running through her veins when it was obvious she was nothing more than a young human woman?

"I can see you're all a little shocked and confused," she said dryly, looking at all the stunned faces around her. It was sort of funny if she thought about it too long. From what she knew of this clan, they'd seen and done a lot. It was no small feat to surprise them. Not that she could blame them. She didn't exactly look like she could lay claim to being part gargoyle. She looked very human.

"Perhaps you should explain further," she heard Xanatos say quietly. Looking to her side, she met his blue eyes and gave a firm nod.

"You're right," she answered before turning to face the other occupants of the room. She gestured for all of them to get comfortable; it was definitely going to take a little bit to explain everything. She pulled a cushy armchair to the head of the little group and plopped down.

"Do you know anything about Avalon," she asked. She could see the tall blue gargoyle off to the side stand up a little straighter at the mention of the magical land. She also noticed the various nods from the others.

"Aye, lass, we know much about that mystical place. Tis where Angela grew up until she came to us here," the oldest of the clan replied, gesturing to the lone female gargoyle present. He had a kind aura about him and immediately, Mirah felt she could trust him.

"That's good. Since you are familiar with that place, it will be easier to follow my explanation. And your name is…" she trailed off, hoping he would throw her that small bone. No one had been outright hostile toward her, but it was easy to see that the entire clan was weary of her presence.

"Tis Hudson, lass. Do not fear us for we will allow no harm to befall ye. Tis obvious you have been through much in your young life," the old gargoyle answered kindly. She could feel tears prick her eyes. It had been a long time since someone had promised to keep her safe. Swallowing thickly, she worked hard to reign in her emotions. It wouldn't do to break down now.

"Yes…well…My family is descended from a child of Avalon," she began quietly. The entire group before her was listening intently. She found their avid scrutiny a little disconcerting.

"As such, everyone born into the family inherits the essence of magic that ran through our ancestor's blood. I was originally a twin. When I was ten, Oberon ordered that my sister, Amahra, be taken and raised in Avalon so as to properly train her," she continued, seeing various levels of anger appear on many of the faces watching her.

"Just like they tried to do with Alex," a small, greenish gargoyle spat, hands clinched into fists. She could practically see the waves of resentment floating off of the bodies around her. He must be talking about Xanatos's son whom Oberon had once tried to take. Luckily, he'd had two very unwilling parents, a clan of gargoyles, and a child of Avalon named Puck to fight for him. Her sister hadn't had such luck. She still missed her terribly. It was like a part of her was missing.

"Yes. Unfortunately, there wasn't anyone willing and strong enough to fight when they came for her. Xanatos and Alex should feel very fortunate they had so many willing to help them," she commented. She couldn't help the sliver of jealousy that clouded her words. But she couldn't blame others for Oberon's machinations toward her sister.

"Three years passed, and on the night of my thirteenth birthday my family and I were in a terrible car wreck. All I remember is being dragged from the car by a couple of men and then I passed out. I only found out recently that my parents and little brother died in the wreck. As far as the world is concerned, so did I," came her next commentary, setting the stage for what she knew they were truly interested in, her gargoyle blood.

"When I woke up I was in what I thought was a hospital room. The first few weeks the doctors were kind to me, explaining that I was an orphan and would stay there until I healed," she continued, falling effortlessly into her tale. It just seemed like yesterday she'd been a scared thirteen year old, unable to cope with the loss of her little family.

"It wasn't long before I started asking questions. I knew enough about what was expected when one became and orphan. I wanted to know why no one had come to see me and explain what was going to happen now and if anyone had contacted my aunt in Arizona. I couldn't get any answers," she exclaimed heatedly. It still pissed her off when she thought about what those bastards had done to her and so many others. They prayed on those too weak and desperate to fight.

"I must have eventually made somebody mad because a few days later I was moved to another room. This one was just like a prison cell," she kept going, although the next few parts were always the hardest to tell. She wouldn't wish her greatest enemy to suffer as she and the others had.

"For about a year, I guess, they tortured me constantly. I was forced to stand for hours at a time in little more than a box that was barely big enough for my body to fit in. If I had to use the restroom, I would just have to relieve myself right there and stand in the filth. I was beaten; sometimes so much that I'd have to be taken to the ICU ward to recover. They only fed me enough to keep me hanging on to life," she whispered brokenly, her eyes becoming empty and unfocused as she forced herself to relive those terrible, lonely days. She drew her knees up and folded her arms around them in an effort to make herself as small as possible, trying to keep herself warm. Tears began slowly trekking their way down her face to her chin where they gathered until to heavy to hold themselves up and splashed down to her arms.

"Once they realized I wasn't going to break and give up on my life they stopped. They had to spend the next year after that helping me to recover from the trauma my body took. I was still stubborn, but I was much better behaved. I was fed regular, nutritious meals and allowed to exercise often, until I was as normal a fourteen year old as I was going to get," she murmured, slowly rocking back and forth in the armchair she was occupying.

"When I was considered healthy enough they started training me. They would switch back and forth between various kinds of technology and magic. The magic was the worst because they were generally life and death situations. I had to kill my opponent or be killed. I watched some I considered friends die by my own hand just so I could keep going another day," the story continued, the girl before them shrinking in on herself more and more as she went along. She could feel a tightening in her chest, making it hard to breath. She knew she just had a little more to go.

"I guess they decided that I was trained enough because they moved me again to another enclosure, this time made of thick glass and steel so I could be monitored. I was taken to a special lab every day. They injected a virus with gargoyle DNA to make sure it would bond with my own genetic makeup. I was injected with it, along with a few antibodies specially designed to insure that I accepted the new DNA," she kept going. She could still feel the intense pain from the injection, like her body was burning from the inside out.

"I started new training once they determined that I had accepted the virus. I was trained in various types of combat. They even brought in real gargoyles to test my limits and abilities. This kept going on for a couple of years, I think. It's hard to remember time tables when each day runs into the other," the tightness in her chest was slowly starting to dissipate. Just a little longer, and she'd be done.

"One night, the alarm went off. One of the subjects had escaped and flipped the release on all the cells. I remember running to where I'd seen them take files before. I tried to find as many as I could to take with me. There was smoke drifting under the door. Someone had smashed the computers and started a fire. I ran. I remember seeing bodies everywhere. I grabbed a couple, hoping to drag them out of there but they were too heavy and I was too weak. I left them there," she couple still feel the heat from the flames licking at her body as she'd stumbled her way out of the lab. She could still hear the screams of those that had been left behind.

"By the time I got out of there, the fire was out of control. Only six of us made it. I don't think any of the scientists made it. That was five years ago. I've been struggling to survive ever since. I came to here about a year ago. Phoenix, he's a crime lord but keeps himself under the radar. He helped me live on the streets. He's the one who told Xanatos about me and here I am," she finally finished, slowly coming back to herself. It was a bit of a shock to suddenly realize there were eight different faces staring at her, some in obvious disbelief. Shaking the images from her head, she unwound her arms from around her legs and consciously tried to relax into the comfortable armchair she was sitting in.

"How could you just leave them there," said a voice to her left. She turned and looked into a red face. Out of all the gargoyles, this particular one looked the least humanoid. She could practically feel the anger coming off of him. Sighing she answered.

"Most refused to leave. They wanted to die. You don't understand what it was like there. Death was a blessing. The few of us who made it out were days away from becoming like them. It was the least we could do after they'd suffered so much," she didn't want to sound hard hearted, but these gargoyles knew nothing of the suffering that had gone on at the lab. To them, life was worth fighting for, but when you've only known pain, death seemed so much sweeter. There were times she'd wished to just give into the darkness and release but she couldn't dishonor her family like that.

"I may not know what that place was like, but I still can't believe they just wanted to die. You probably just left them there in order to save yourself," the red gargoyle continued, growing steadily angrier. Mirah could feel her own ire rising. How dare he call her selfish! He knew nothing. He had no right to judge her.

"Listen here," she spat, rising from her chair to come face to face with her accuser, "you have no right to accuse me of being weak. I left friends in that place. I listened to their screams for five years as they were tortured and killed. I was one of the people who brought death to them more than once. You know nothing of what that place was like. Don't assume you would have done differently." She knew she was crying because she could only see the gargoyle in front of her through a watery blur, but she couldn't help it. She regretted leaving her fellows behind everyday, but they wanted to die in that hell hole. Scrubbing her eyes with her fists, she turned abruptly away from the accusing glare directed at her.

"How do we even know you are telling the truth," asked a female voice. She looked up into the kind eyes of the lone female in the room save her. Stumbling to the armchair she'd recently vacated, she reach down beside it to grab her backpack. Unzipping it, she pulled a stack of manila folders from its depths and threw them onto the chair.

"There's your proof. My own file is there along with several others. Most of them are dead, but a few were part of the group that escaped four years ago," she murmured. She watched as Xanatos picked the files up and passed them to the various clan members in the room.

"You spoke of abilities and magic," began a deep voice behind her. She turned to look at the tall, muscular blue gargoyle that had been silent for the most part until now. She nodded her head that she understood and would answer his unspoken question.

"I wasn't trained very well when learning about the limits of my magic. I'm not very powerful and usually need some sort of object to focus my power on to even be affective. As far as the abilities I've gained, there are quite a few. The purpose of my mutation was to make me the perfect hybrid. I have excellent night vision, am stronger than any human, can grow talons when I need them, and sensitive hearing and sense of smell. I was still considered a failure, though," it was funny to imagine herself as such. The scientists had been most disappointed when they'd discovered she wasn't quite what they wanted.

"Why were you a failure," this came from the robust light blue gargoyle. He'd been completely silent until now, absorbing what she said and mulling it over. He had a go with the flow kind of personality, and she found herself thinking he would make a good friend.

"I'm a failure because I'm still weak during the day, just like you who turn to stone. Furthermore, I was never able to develop wings in order to glide. I'm also slightly weaker than a female gargoyle, but I can generally hold my own in a fight. I usually won against the females they put me against at the lab because I was faster, but I'm very weak compared to male gargoyles. I can easily be overpowered. The only reason I was kept alive was because I became somewhat of a technical genius and because of the magic," sometimes she wondered if it would have been better if she'd been a complete failure all around. Maybe then she'd be with her family in the netherworld.

"Wait a minute. You said you were thirteen when you were taken," began the little green gargoyle. She gestured for him to continue, "And according to you, you were kept there for five years which you have made you eighteen when you escaped. You then say you've been free for the last four years, making you twenty-two. But you don't look much older than seventeen. How is that possible?" She smiled. She had to hand it to him; he was the first to realize that her physical appearance didn't match up with her estimated age.

"That was another of the 'abilities' I gained. I age at the same rate a true gargoyle does," she almost laughed at all the shocked faces around her. Although, she had to admit, it would be strange to know that a human could live every bit as long as they could.

"I have something for you, though," she began, reaching into her backpack again and pulling out seven chains with a medallion hanging from each of them. The metal pieces were made of gold with a clear stone resting in their centers. The smell of magic was heavy in the air.

"I've spent the last six months perfecting these. I remembered Phoenix telling me about Goliath's time in the Amazon and the medallions the gargoyles there had in order to stay animated during the day. I was intrigued, so I sought to replicate them. I think I might have even made them better," she explained, smiling at her achievement. She loved inventing stuff, and these babies were her pride and joy.

"Each medallion will draw a bit of their wearer's blood. This insures they will only work for that specific gargoyle. They also can't be removed by anyone else because they sink into the skin. You can still choose to revert to stone during the day or if injured with nothing more than a thought. If you do decide you want to take it off, only you can remove it," she couldn't help but be pleased by all the awed faces in the room. She'd put a lot of blood and sweat into these, and she was proud of what she'd accomplished. Mirah noticed movement out of the corner of her eye and turned to see Xanatos stepping to the fore. He cleared his throat in order to gain everyone's attention.

"I've brought Mirah here to work with you. I thought with her and Lexington's technical skills, they could make it safer and more productive when you patrol at night. And they can make offensive and defensive devices for when you have to go against Demona. Besides, with her particular mutation, she's highly sought after. It's safer for her to stay here than be out on the streets," he explained. Seeing everyone nod in agreement, Xanatos said good night to the group, briefly detailing where Mirah would be staying before heading to his own room and Fox. It had most definitely been a trying day, and he was looking forward to spending some quality time with his wife.

As everyone grabbed their medallion and headed out to the roof of the castle, Mirah watched Goliath. He seemed to be deep in thought and they were definitely unpleasant. She gotten the distinct feeling he didn't want her here, although she didn't know why. She was hoping to catch him alone before he also headed to the room and the coming sun. She waited for everyone to exit before she made her way to the brooding gargoyle with the excuse of giving him the last medallion in her hand.

"Have I done something to offend you," the voice startled Goliath from his thoughts. He focused on the beautiful face (thought he would never admit such a thing) attached to a body that barely reached mid-chest on him. The strange colors of her eyes emitted an innocence he hadn't seen, especially in a human, in a long time. Sighing, he knew she was waiting for an answer.

"It is not you I am weary of. We once had a human who fought with this clan. In the end, she betrayed us. I am cautious lest history repeat itself," he answered. Elisa had been very good at closing his heart off from others. Her callousness had left him wounded.

"I can tell something very hurtful must happened. I just hope you'll give me a chance to prove my self," she said determinately. Mirah held out her hand, waiting for the male in front of her to take it. Goliath stared at the small, delicate hand before him and looked at the earnest expression on the young face that hid a painful past. He gently enveloped the slender appendage in his taloned hand, grasping it in a sign of tentative friendship.


	3. Sister Dearest

Chapter Three: Sister Dearest

"Amarha!" A girl looking no more than sixteen whipped around at the sound of the voice yelling in the distance. Her sea green eyes searched for the being that it belonged to, light brown hair creating a waterfall to the small of her back. She saw Kylinia flying toward her. The fairy's buttercup yellow skin glowed with an inner light, her starlight hair seeming to drip down her back. Her wings encompassed all different shades of the rainbow. Amarha's face lit with joy. Kylinia was one of her very best friends here on Avalon.

"What is it Kylinia," she asked. Obviously it was important if the fairy was in such a hurry. In a few more seconds the little fairy was hovering in front of her face. It was always a little disconcerting trying to focus on an actual person as small as Kylinia. A human's eyes just were made for it. Although she would never admit such a thing out loud. The beings of Avalon weren't human friendly on a good day. There wasn't any reason to give them something else to look down upon.

"Lord Oberon requested you meet him in his chambers," the fairy squeaked out, "it's very important. His words, not mine." Amarha shot off like a rocket. Her lord rarely asked for an audience with her and never something "important." He, like the rest of Avalon, didn't view her as anything great because of her humanity. Unlike the others, excluding Kylinia and a select few others, he did treat her kindly.

She had been brought to Avalon when she was only ten. At first, she'd hated her Lord, and everything about her new home. She didn't like being separated from her family. She was given a set of rooms in the east wing of Oberon's palace, not very far from the lord himself. They had been exquisite, with a huge bed dominating the bedroom, a lovely sitting room with shelves for books, and a private bathing chamber connected to the hot springs that ran under the castle. For the next three years she'd tried everything to push Lord Oberon and her teachers over the limit so they would send her home. Nothing seemed to work. If anything, it seemed to make Oberon even more determined to keep her in Avalon.

When she'd turned thirteen, she'd been given the horrible news that her family was dead. They'd died in a car accident. Her lord had even taken her to the site so she could see the evidence for herself. She had been devastated. For the next year she'd fallen into a deep depression. No one could get her out of her rooms and the maids had to physically bathe and feed her because she wasn't with it enough to do it herself. She'd tried to kill herself, and still had the scars on her wrists. They had faded into nothing more than two thin white lines, but they were still a visible reminder of that time.

Eventually, Lord Oberon had grown weary of her "melancholy" as he called it. She still remembered the day he'd come into her chambers and forcefully yanked her away from the darkness she'd been living in. It had been exactly what she need, but at the time, she'd hated him for it. The darkness kept her from having to focus on the fact that her family was dead.

_ "Enough," Lord Oberon roared as her barged into Amarha's bedroom, seeing the teenagers lying in her bed staring up at the ceiling. He stormed over and yanked her unresisting body off and dropped her none too gently onto the hard floor. He was tired of watching the human grieve over a family that was not going to come back. There was no reason for her to also join them in the afterlife._

_ He watched as the girl seemed to be shaken from her stupor by her impact with the floor. She sat up and looked around, somewhat dazed. She hadn't been aware of her surroundings in quite some time, so it was a little strange to be brought back so suddenly. She then looked up into the angry orbs of her lord._

_ "What do you want," she spat, angry that he'd taken her from the darkness. The darkness was comforting. She didn't have to think or feel there. And now he'd taken her away from it. She wanted to go back. It was safe. Much safer than the reality she lived in._

_ "Do not speak to me in such a manner, girl," Lord Oberon bit out, "you need to show your lord proper respect." Amarha wanted to laugh. Respect! Why did her deserve her respect! He and his minions had taken her away from her family and forced her to live here. Here where no one wanted her. _

_ "You have done nothing to earn my respect, Lord Oberon," she said. He needed to get off him high and mighty horse. She would not bow down to someone who had no qualms about ruining another person's life. If she had still been with her family, she wouldn't be trying to cope without them now. She would instead be with them wherever their journey had taken them._

_ "I should not have to earn it. It should be mine as your lord," he yelled. He was the ruler of this land. As such, she should obey him in all things. She had instead been nothing but trouble. He'd originally taken her because she had seemed the more docile of the twins. The one who would be easiest to mold into what he wanted her to be. He was beginning to wonder if he hadn't taken the wrong twin after all. He had forgotten the saying that a quiet nature to hide a willful beast._

_ "I have no lord," Amarha whispered, "I have no lord because I do not belong to this place. Everyone says it. You may all think that I've not been able to understand what's been going on around me this past year, but I could still hear you." The darkness had not been all consuming. She had still been aware of what everyone was doing around her. How the maids had ridiculed her weak human nature. How they'd often left her wet and cold after bathing her because they could not stand to touch her any longer. How they'd only feed her a small portion of what was sent for her so they could enjoy it._

_ To say Oberon was shocked was an understatement. He had never heard anything untoward being said about his human ward. The servants seemed to always make sure that she was properly cared for. Not doing so would have guaranteed they would have to face his wrath. Human or not, Amarha was his responsibility. He would not see her mistreated. Though, not that he looked upon her more carefully, it was easy to see that she had been neglected._

_ Where her clothes had used to fit her perfectly, they now hung loose. Her face had a slight hollowness to it. Not enough to say that she'd been truly starved, but definitely undernourished. Her clothes were no longer the rich silks, satins, and soft cottons that he had had made for her. Instead, they were threadbare homespun material. Like some of the servants wore. Her hair was still damp and a rat's nest._

_ Storming over to Amarha's wardrobe, Oberon flung open the doors. He was angered by what he saw. None of his ward's clothes were there. Instead, everything had been replaced with the same material she was currently wearing. Her slippers were the only things still there. How could this be? Every time she was brought to see him, she would be wearing clothes of the finest materials. And if he looked over to her dresser, there were empty food dishes._

_ The sound of chattering females was entering his mind. The maids were returning. Where had they been? Amarha was not to be left alone. She had already tried to kill herself once. The scars were a horrid sight, still glaringly pink. The maids entered the room but stopped short when they noticed its other occupant. _

_ "Where have you been," Lord Oberon questioned darkly. It was easy enough to see where his ward's clothes had gone. Each of the maids wore one of her outfits. To say he was livid was an understatement. Not only that, but he could smell traces of the breakfast he had had sent to Amarha that morning every time any of the maids let out a breath._

_ "My lord," one of the maid spoke, "we were simply going to get some sewing supplies. We thought we would try and teach the human how to embroider." He did not miss how human was spit out of the maid's mouth, as if it tasted disgusting to her._

_ "You are lying," he said quietly. It was like the calm before the storm. The maids suddenly found themselves encaged within bars of light. One reached out to test if it was real, and yanked their hand back, a cry of pain escaping their mouth. The three maids felt fear begin to enter their bodies. Their lord was not happy. They were frightened by the possibility of harm that seemed to be leaking from his body._

_ "You tell me such lies when my ward's clothes are hanging off you well fed bodies while she lies in the homespun cloth that came from you, her body undernourished. You will be punished for this indecency," he yelled before the light began to fill the room. Amarha had to turn her head away until it began to recede. When she turned to once again face the room, the maids were gone. She looked at Lord Oberon in wonder, and not a little fear. He walked to her, gently picking her up and placing her on the bed._

_ "I am sorry, Amarha," he said softly, "You have suffered not only a great loss this past year, but abuse by those who were supposed to care for you." She could feel tears welling up in her eyes. This was the first time in the last year she had been treated with any kindness. She could feel everything that she had been keeping bottled up coming forth and threw herself into her lord's arms. He cradled her, letting her release all her pain. That was when she first held respect for Oberon._

__After that night, Lord Oberon had new maids assigned to Amarha. One of those persons was Kylinia. This time around, he kept a close eye on how she was treated. He needn't have worried. Her new maids treated her with kindness and respect. It wasn't long before they became friends, and she cared for them a great deal. The maids that had cared for her the year of her grieving were sent to work in the laundry rooms. They were not allowed to use magic either. They were still stuck down there.

She finally reached her lord's chambers. Knocking, she waited for his permission to enter. After getting it, she pushed open the heavy door using her magical energy. She had become quite adept with magic, but was still no match for any magical being of Avalon. It was like she had a wall blocking her from reaching her full potential. Coming to stand in front of Lord Oberon, Amarha knelt before him as a sign of respect.

"Rise, Amarha," Lord Oberon intoned, "I wish to speak with you face to face." She moved to stand once again and looked upon the ruler of Avalon. To say he was handsome was an understatement. He was beautiful. And very much faithful to his wife. That woman was someone she could not stand. Titania did not treat her lord well. She was constantly gallivanting off to the human realm and sleeping with them. How anyone could want someone else when they had her lord waiting here for them she couldn't understand.

"I've received some disturbing news as of late," Oberon said, looking angered. What could he have heard to create a reaction such as that? It was generally hard to truly make her lord angry. After living for the many centuries he had, you learned what was truly worth becoming upset over and what could be forgotten.

"They must be truly worrisome if you have called be to you, my lord," she answered. She sometimes did a little spying for Oberon. Because many here viewed her as something of a pest, they tended to ignore her. It made spying on them very easy. As such, Oberon had taken to using her when he wanted to find out information that someone was unwilling to give him.

"There is talk of a plot to overthrow me," Oberon continued. This didn't surprise Amarha. Oberon ruled over a very powerful land. He had also been in power for longer than anyone could remember. People tended to want his power and would plot different ways of removing him from the throne. She had discovered many such plots in the last eight years.

"There are always rumors of an overthrow, my lord. What about this rumor has upset you," she asked. She did not like to see her lord unhappy and generally strived to do away with whatever was causing it. If there was another overthrow plot in the air, it had to be big to have Oberon this unhappy.

"The plot is being headed by my snake of a wife," Lord Oberon drawled. Amarha couldn't help a gasp of surprise. Titania was behind it? Sure, in the past there had been a few plots that she had secretly believed the woman to be behind. But for her lord to believe it too was dire indeed. For all her misdeeds, the queen held her kings heart within her hands.

"What am I to do my lord," she asked. Surely he wouldn't want her to spy on Titania? He had always ignored her involvement before. If he did want her to she would. She just wasn't confident that he would heed any warnings she gave him.

"You are to keep an eye on my queen, Amarha, and report anything you hear back to me," he commanded, "you may go." Knowing it would be best to leave her lord to his thoughts, she turned to leave. Exiting Oberon's chambers, she was still in a state of shock. One thing was for certain. She would make sure that no one threatened her lord and got away with it. That included Avalon's queen. Walking down the hallway, Amarha continued to think of ways to accomplish the mission her lord had set for her.


	4. Confusing Emotions

Chapter Four: Confusing Emotions

Amarha was finding it more difficult to gather intel on Titania than she'd originally believed. Either she wasn't behind this plot to overthrow Oberon, or she was being unusually subtle. She had so far only heard the faintest traces of the measures being taken to remove her lord from his thrown. Quietly sneaking down the hallway, she stopped before turning the corner when she heard voices. One was most definitely female too.

"This is taking longer than I would like," the female voice said reprovingly. It was clear she was not happy about something. It sounded like the queen, but Amarah was taking no chances of making a false report to Lord Oberon. It was going to be difficult enough to convince him of how dangerous Titania was without making such a foolish mistake.

"I am sorry, my lady, but he is not easily fooled," a high pitched, nervous male voice answered. That sounded an awful lot like Cyane. He wasn't known for his loyalty by any stretch of the imagination. He would always choose the side he believed would win whatever conflict he was taking part in. To be plotting with the queen meant he thought her plans to be viable. This wasn't looking good.

"I know this, you miserable ingrate. Lord Oberon hasn't set on the thrown for millennia because he's stupid or incautious," the female answered harshly. Her voice was steadily rising with her ire.

"Forget about Oberon. Focus on trying to recruit more Avalonians to our cause. Incite their wrath with whatever fanciful tales of Oberon's inept rule that you can spin," the female continued. She was quieting down again, making it harder for Amarha to hear everything she was saying. She could believe her luck. This was the information she'd been sneaking around for for the past two months. Someone must be getting cocky.

"As you say, my lady. I've always been very good at spinning tales," the male answered with a simpering air. She wanted to snort in disgust. Suck ups always made her feel like hitting something. They were generally people with no true ties to whomever they were following, making them very dangerous because they could easily turn on you.

"But, my lady, how are we to garner success against Oberon if I am busy trying to gather your army," the male inquired. Yes, Amarha would like to know that too. It would most definitely help to identify without a doubt who Cyane was talking too. If it was Cyane. She still didn't know for sure.

"Leave him to me. I have that idiot wrapped around my fingers. He is so sure of his queen's loyalty that he will easily give me what I want," the female chuckled darkly. She really wanted to punch that satisfied smirk that she knew was sitting on Titania's face right now. How could she want to hurt the man she always claimed to love? Although, love was probably not a factor at all. You did plot to hurt someone you loved.

Believing she'd heard enough to give a successful report to her lord, Amarha casually sauntered past the corner, pretending she had not heard anything in the past ten minutes. It almost made her laugh at how fast Titania and Cyane broke apart, both looking slightly panicked. They were probably worried they'd been caught. Not wanting to give the game away, she acted just as surprised to see them.

"Oh, Titania, lovely as ever to see you," she said with venom in her voice. It was no secret that she and the queen couldn't stand one another. Her majesty had never understood why Oberon had elected to bring a human to Avalon. It was exacerbated by the fact that he took her in as his ward. This meant that for all intents and purposes, Amarha was a princess and could take over the thrown if Oberon and Titania were either killed or abdicated.

"Why are you wondering around the halls alone, Amarha," the queen asked with malice lacing her voice. She wasn't scared of her though. If anyone harmed her, including the illustrious queen, they would feel Oberon's wrath. He didn't take lightly to anyone breaking his oath of keeping her safe.

"I believe I live here too, your majesty," making a mockery of Titania's title, "and this is our wing. Why wouldn't I be wondering around here?" She almost let out a chuckle of amusement at the look on Titania's face. She could see how much the other woman wanted to hurt her. No matter. She had much more important things to take care of.

"Have you Lord Oberon," she inquired, watching the color drain from Titania's face. Good. She deserved to worry about whether she and Cyane had been overheard. And they had. Idiots. They looked down upon her lord when they were the ones missing a few brain cells.

"I believe he's in his study looking over some paperwork," the queen replied stiffly before resolutely turning and walking away. She would bet anything that her highness was going to stew about this encounter for awhile; analyzing the likelihood that Amarha had heard anything. Glancing at Cyane with a dark look, she turned and walked back the way she'd come. It looked like she had to talk to her lord.

She knocked gently on the doors of Oberon's study and waited until she was given permission to enter. Walking in, she found him behind a desk that was buried in scrolls of various sizes. She knew that he was constantly working on agreements for the many disputes that seemed to pop up between the inhabitants of Avalon. Sometimes, he would sit in his study for days, only stopping to grab a small meal and a bath. He worked so hard. Part of the problem was that Titania refused to help him with his duties.

It made Amaraha so angry. It was just as much the queen's responsibility as the king to insure the welfare of the people. That was one of the reasons Amarha feared Titania taking over. She would shirk her duties, and Avalon would fall into chaos as a result. Only by maintaining order and issuing compromises could someone hope to keep a place so full of magic in check.

"I take it you have something for me," a very male voice drawled. She had to consciously keep herself from shivering in desire. She dreamed of that voice sometimes and all the wicked things it would say to her. Mentally shaking herself, she focused on the issue at hand. She had a report to make.

"I overhead a very interesting conversation between Titania and Cyane," she replied, looking into her lord's face for his reaction. It was minute, but she could see tenseness around his eyes. He was angry and maybe a little apprehensive about what she was going to tell him. She could understand why. For hundreds of years he'd been ignoring his wife's true nature, only divorcing her when she insisted on some space. But he would always welcome her back with open arms when she grew bored with the human world and returned to him.

"Continue," he said quietly, "I imagine it was most illuminating if you came to deliver it in the middle of the day."

"They were discussing strategies to overthrow you, my lord," she began, stepping forward unconsciously in an attempt to convey the importance of what she was saying. She had actually overheard his wife making plans to do away with him. She had to make him understand that he could no longer afford to turn a blind eye to his wife's machinations.

"She removed Cyane from his mission of making you vulnerable. He's been given the task of gathering troops."

"Very interesting," he said lazily. He absently continued to write on the scroll he'd been working on when she'd entered the study. She really wanted to shake him. He was treating this as if she was telling him about the weather outside.

"Titania has taken over your removal. She said that it would be easy for her because she had you wrapped around her fingers," she said, not without a little spite. She was becoming frustrated. She saw him flinch, although it was so minute as to be practically invisible. At least something was getting through to him.

"Was this all you heard," he asked when she hadn't spoken for several minutes. Nodding her head, she waited for what he would do next. Hopefully it would be something a little more proactive. She did not relish the idea that Titania could be successful in her endeavor.

"Very well. I want you to continue your observations. You've left me with much to think about," he continued. Sighing with a little relief, she nodded her head in confirmation. She knew that this was going to be hard for him, but at least he seemed to be taking the matter seriously.

"My lord," she asked hesitantly, and waited for his nod to continue.

"May I stay with you for a bit? I haven't gotten to see you in almost two weeks, and I miss you," she said shyly, looking at the ground and trying to control her blush. She heard papers rustle and a chair scrap against the floor as Oberon came to stand in front of her. He gently lifted her chin so she had no choice but to look at him. She was just grateful she'd managed to get her blush under control. She saw the softness in his eyes which was all she needed before launching herself in his arms.

Oberon held her close, stroking her hair in a small show of affection. He guided her back to his desk and sat down before pulling her into his lap. She curled up much like a kitten and laid her head back against his chest. She watched as he began once more working on the papers littering the desk's surface. She read what the dispute was about and watched as he jotted down ideas on a piece of paper to his left. She leaned forward until her legs where straddling the king's with her back facing his chest as she tried to get a better look at what her lord was working on.

She wriggled a little, trying to find a more comfortable position. She heard Oberon moan quietly, resting his head on her shoulder and wrapping an arm firmly around her waist, preventing her from moving. She could feel his breath stirring the air on the back of her neck. He continued to hold his position until she began to worry. She started to try and wriggle out of his grasp so she could turn and face him.

She heard his groan loudly as the arm around her waist tightened even more. She was starting to have a little trouble breathing. She could feel something poking her bottom. Oberon's breathing was becoming harsher, and she could feel that his skin was wet. She was really beginning to worry. Had he been hit with some sort of curse? She knew it couldn't be illness because Avalonians couldn't get sick, but she didn't think his behavior was normal.

"My lord," she whispered, unable to take a deep enough breath to speak any louder. Getting no answer, she once more tried to move so that she could look at her lord and see what was bothering him.

"Dammit," she heard him shout before she was thrown from his lap, bracing her hands against the middle of the desk to keep from slamming face first into its surface. She barely had time to register the action before she was roughly turned and found her lord looming over her. He yanked her to him as he crashed his lips to hers.

Amarha let out a gasp of surprise as Oberon's lips met her own. He took the opportunity and thrust his tongue into her mouth, tasting her. She shyly touched her tongue to his, delighting in his moan of appreciation as his fingers tangled in her hair, tilting her head for better access. She brought her hands up to wrap around his neck, fingers gently running through his hair.

Oberon lifted her to the desk, quickly stepping between her partially spread legs, never breaking the kiss. Amarha moaned at the feel of it. Immediately, he stiffened. She felt the change in atmosphere and opened her eyes, not realizing she'd ever closed them. She saw the panicked look in her lord's eyes and felt shame coarse through her. She couldn't believe she'd overstepped her position like that.

Slowly, Oberon pulled away from her, still breathing somewhat irregularly. He gently extricated himself, stepping away from the desk. He brought a hand up to his mouth, looking as if he didn't believe what he'd done. He then looked at Amarha, taking in her disheveled appearance. The sight made him want to kiss her again. He felt disgust well up in him. He couldn't believe what he'd done. He'd betrayed his wife and his ward.

Amarha saw the disgust in Oberon's eyes and felt her heart break. She couldn't believe how wanton she'd been. He must think so little of her now. She was no better than the concubines she'd read about in some of the books in the castle's library. He must be so disappointed in her.

"I'm sorry, my lord. I behaved in a shameful manner," she whispered dejectedly.

"It should not have happened," she heard him say, too preoccupied with staring at her feet to see the look of guilt on his face. So he was disgusted with her. She couldn't blame him. Not only had she behaved in such an appalling manner, but she was human too. She quickly hopped off the table and made to leave the study. She couldn't stand being in the same room with her lord after having disappointed him so.

As she passed by Oberon, he reached out and grabbed her, hand going around her waist before hauling her back against his chest. He buried his nose in her hair and inhaled the scent of vanilla and cinnamon. He didn't think he'd ever smelled such an alluring scent before. Amarha really didn't know how beautiful and enticing she really was.

"I do not want you to think I am angry with you," he began to explain. He'd seen her look of shame when he'd told her they should not have kissed. It was then he realized she believed she was the one to blame for what had happened, and in a way, she was. But he should have had more self control when she'd begun shifting in his lap to get into a more comfortable position.

"But, my lord, I should not have pushed you so much," Amarha said, trying to quell the stirring in her groin. It was beginning to send pulses of pleasure through her body just as it had when Oberon had been kissing her.

"No. I was the one who forced myself on you," he continued, trying to release her of any feelings of guilt.

"You can't force yourself on me, my lord," she said, "because I was every bit as much of a participant as you." She could feel him breath in with surprise. She hadn't meant to spill her inner most feelings quite so bluntly. She could feel the blush as it lit her face on fire. She felt as the arm around her waist loosen and took it as a sign that she was to leave. It was a shock to find herself suddenly turned to face Oberon.

"You wanted this to happen," he asked curiously, looking Amarha's eyes for confirmation. He watched her shake her head minutely in agreement. He couldn't believe what his ward was telling him. She had certainly hidden her attraction well. He had never entertained the thought that she saw him in such a light.

"I know that it is not proper, my lord, but I can't help it," she whispered miserably, trying to pull her chin from his grasp. He refused to let go as he tried to process all that had happened in the last half hour. He had found out his wife was trying to kill him, his ward was attracted to him, and that he might hold a fair bit of attraction for his ward. Abruptly releasing his hold, Oberon turned away from Amarha. He heard her quietly leave the room, still lost in his thoughts.


	5. A Kidnapping

Mirah looked into the mirror with satisfaction. The last six months living with the gargoyles had been good to her. She no longer resembled a prison camp refugee. Her ribs no longer showed, no did her spine if she turned her back to face the mirror. No more knobby elbows and knees that glared out the lack of food she'd had access to for longer than she cared to think about. Instead, she had a healthy glow. Her arms, and legs, were lightly toned from working out regularly in the gym Xanatos provided along with going out on patrols with the clan. Her chest was still a full D-cup, which thankfully hadn't dissipated when food was scarce, a waist that dipped in slightly before flaring at the hips. Her body was neither all hard planes, nor jiggled everywhere when she walked. It had a softness that she thought appealing, especially after having looked at such a gaunt frame for so long.

Smiling, she threw on a pair of jeans and a Aeropastale t-shirt over her white lace underwear and bra set. Who said that sexy meant black lace and g-strings? She felt, for the first time, that she was a attractive woman. Pulling her hair back into a loose ponytail, she reflected on the past six months in relation to the gargoyles. She was steadily being accepted more and more into the clan. For that, she was very grateful. At the beginning, they had all looked upon her entrance into their lives wearily, especially Goliath. About four months ago, Hudson had been kind enough to tell her why. Making her way to the computer lab, she thought back to that day.

"_Tis not ye, lass," Hudson said. Startled she looked up at the kind face of the eldest in the gargoyle clan. She been staring pensively over the city since they'd returned from another patrol. Although everyone had been treating her kindly, she still felt like they were holding back. And she desperately wanted to know what she was doing._

"_How did you know what I was thinking" she said with a small smile, arms wrapped protectively around her still small frame. She was steadily gaining weight and looking more and more like a normal, healthy person, but it was a slow process._

"_Tis not hard to tell. You look with such longing at the clans interactions with one another," he replied, his brogue a pleasant sound. Gently, he set his hand on her shoulder, wishing to give her even a small amount of comfort._

"_But if it's not something I'm doing, what is it," she exclaimed. She could feel tears pricking her eyes, but willed herself to not let them fall._

"_Let me tell you a story, lass. We once accepted a human into our clan," he began. And over the next hour, she was told about Elisa. Told about how she had been welcomed into the clan as one of their own. How she'd been looked on like a daughter, a friend, a mother, and a lover. How she'd encouraged Goliath's interest, only to betray him in the end. Mirah couldn't understand how anyone, gargoyle __**or**__ human, could ever play with someone's heart the way she had. A a part of Mirah hated the woman vehemently for her callous disregard for the family that had so easily been welcomed into. _

"_I understand now, Hudson. And I'll keep trying to show them that I'm not like her," she'd declared._

And she had. Since then, she worked even harder to show the clan that she genuinely wished to be accepted. That she saw them as her family. And the clan had responded in kind. Where before they had excluded her, for the most part, form any clan activities other than patrolling, she was invited to take part in. She and Angela had become very good friends, and she cherished that bond. The males were fiercely protective of her when they encountered danger on patrol, even though she was more than capable of taking care of herself. They viewed her as a little sister, and she was grateful. Even Goliath was slowly coming around. He no longer ignored her presence, and even sought her out on occasion. The only dark spot on an otherwise happy experience thus far was Thailog. She wished she'd never encountered the dark gargoyle, and she had a feeling that something bad was going to happen soon. She could still remember the first time she came into contact with him.

_She and Lexington had been working long and hard over the last four months creating this computer system, and she was damned proud of it. The computer was programmed to track magical signatures within a fifty mile radius. If it was successful, her next project would be to extend its range. But for now, she just wanted it to do its job. Her hope was that it would make it easier to stop anything Demona started, since she often used magic. _

_The first night the computer was active, and they'd gotten a hit. She desperately wanted to go on this patrol, but someone needed to stay and monitor the computer, while another took the hand held with them. Surprisingly, Lexington offered to stay. Even more surprisingly, Goliath offered to carry her on patrol. So far, all of the gargoyles, save Lexington and Goliath had carried her while on patrol. To have him offering now was a huge step, and she was almost giddy with happiness._

_Rather than carry her bridle style, which would have made it difficult for her to associate landmarks and track the signal they were getting, Goliath had held her around her waist, body pressed close to his as they flew. To say that flight was a lesson in control would have been an understatement. Goliath was all corded muscle and quiet strength, and she found him insanely attractive. But she kept those thoughts firmly to herself. She did not want to push him away when he was finally beginning to treat her like part of the clan._

_So, they'd flown toward the signature, which happened to be originating from Central Park. They'd landed outside of one of the more heavily wooded areas of the park and began to make their way slowly inside. It probably took them about ten minutes of hiking before they'd come across the origin of the signature. Not surprisingly, Demona was there. What was surprising, was who else was there with her. She was shocked by the dark gargoyle, who was Goliath's twin save their skin and hair color. She'd turned wide eyes to see an equally shocked clan. This couldn't be good._

"_Why is Goliath's twin brother with Demona," she whispered. It took a minute, but finally, the clan seemed to shake themselves out of their stupor._

"_That is not my brother," Goliath replied, "he is a clone, which we thought was trapped in stone."_

_Seeing her confused expression, Goliath explained about Sevarius, the clones, and Thailog in particular. He explained that the clones had succumbed to a disease that caused them to revert to their stone forms, and Thailog had also been infected. She could understand their surprise now. Demona's voice interrupted them, and they all turned to listen in on the conversation._

"_I've only been able to bring you back temporarily, Thailog," the female gargoyle began, "but I've found a cure for the disease which brought you down." She pointed to a small cauldron that set over an open fired. The cauldron had tendrils of smoke coming up from it's depths. Mirah had a bad feeling about this._

"_We cannot allow him to drink whatever is in that cauldron," Brooklyn hissed. As Demona dipped a chalice into the cauldron and gathered some of the liquid within, the clan rushed out. The surprise on the faces of the two gargoyles was hilarious, but she wouldn't get to enjoy that until later. _

_Demona dropped the chalice, spilling its contents onto the grass at her feet as she leapt at the three youngest clan members. From out of the trees on the other side of the campfire, ten humans came with weapons at the ready. Angela and Hudson charged them. Goliath and Thailog were grappling with one another. Mirah knew this was her only chance to get to the cauldron and destroy its contents. The clan was adamant that Thailog was dangerous, and she believed them._

_When she was just inches from the fire, she felt herself hoisted backwards by an arm around her waist. She struggled, thinking it was one of the humans that had entered the clearing earlier, but looking down, she saw the arm was covered with ebony skin. 'Shit, it's Thailog' her mind whispered just as another arm came up and put a knife to her throat. She froze._

"_Stop," the rich voice commanded, sending involuntary shivers down her spine. While on one hand his voice was exactly like Goliath's, it did not hold the same warmth that the blue gargoyle had. Looking around, she saw that every member of the clan had stopped fighting, eyes riveted to the knife at her throat. She could hear growling to her left, and when her eyes darted in that direction, she saw Goliath, eyes glowing with rage. _

"_That's better. Now, I am going to walk toward the cauldron and drink some of the elixir that Demona has so generously provided. If any of you move, I will not hesitate to cut this human's throat," he threatened in a calm voice. Suiting actions to words, he was next to the cauldron mere moments later, dipping the chalice from early back into the cauldron. When he brought the cup to his lips, Mirah knew it was her only chance. She bashed her head back against Thailog's, causing him to drop her. Dizzy, but determined, she'd then kicked him straight in the balls. _

_He howled with pain and rage, but she was already running toward safety. As soon as Goliath's arms closed around her, she turned to look back. Thailog was glaring murderously at her, the cauldron's contents at his feet, soaking into the ground. For a moment, she thought they had succeeded, until she noticed the chalice still in his hand. Quickly, he gulped down the liquid before turning and disappearing into the night. Looking around, she saw that Demona and the humans had also disappeared._

That little episode had taken place two months ago. Since then, anytime they came up against Thailog, he would focus on her. Barely two weeks after the Central Park encounter, he'd broken into the castle during the day. It would seem he did not turn to stone during the day. Whether that was part of the cloning process, the potion he drank, or something else, she doesn't know. He had tried to kidnap her, but she was luck in that Owen, a.k.a. Puck, had been with her in the computer lab at the time. Thailog had not been expecting that.

Then, only two weeks ago, he'd been in the process of blowing up the empire state building. While the clan was distracted trying to find the bomb, he'd come after her again. Whether he was going to try and kill her or kidnap her she still isn't sure, because Bronx happened to be with them that time. He'd gone after Thailog with a vengeance.

And so, the last six months had been eventful to say the least. She and the clan were becoming family. She and Goliath were becoming friends, though she wished that it could be more. Maybe someday. And now, they had a fire to deal with. Somehow, a fire had broken out at an office building downtown. Some of the night crew were still trapped inside. Entering the computer lab, she placed an earbud in her ear so she could keep in contact with the clan as they headed toward the fire. While she enjoyed helping with patrols, this time she wasn't needed. Lexington was tracking the clan with the tiny microchip embedded in their medallions.

"How far are they from the fire, Lexington," she asked in a no nonsense voice, hands already typing furiously on another computer.

"Roughly one minute away," was the reply. Good, they would hopefully be able to get there in time. She hacked into the news feed as well as several security and streets cameras to keep an eye on the fire. The clan had left about ten minutes ago, when the news had first reached them. In short order, the clan had arrived. They busted into some windows about halfway up the building.

"Lexington, Mirah, where are the humans trapped," came the deep voice of the clan leader.

"According to the police scanners, they're one floor up. They got trapped in the stairwell," she answered, looking for a working camera within the office building. Luckily, the camera right outside the stairwell door for the floor she was talking about was still functioning. All but four of the night staff had been accounted for. As the camera came online, she was able to count for bodies, huddled together against a wall in the stairwell.

"They're were I said, Goliath. I can count four people," she spoke into the communications unit. Roughly five minutes later, the clan had the four humans and were gliding to the street below. They handed them off to the waiting paramedics.

"Go going guys," came Lexington's voice over the communications unit. Just then, an alarm started ringing in the computer lab.

"Mirah, Lexington, what's going on," came Goliath's voice.

"I don't know. The alarm is originating from the door to the roof of the castle, but I don't see anyone. Nor do I see anyone in any of the halls," came her curt reply. With her last words, the door to the computer lab was thrown across the room and slammed into the wall.

"What was that," came Goliath's shout. Looking into the doorway, Mirah felt like ice was flowing through her veins.

"Thailog," her choked voice whispered. She could hear cursing on the other end of the comm unit, and could faintly register her surprise at Goliath's vocabulary. But the majority of her focus was directed at the figure in the doorway. 'Shit. This is not good' she thought.

"We're coming, Mirah. Just hold on," came the frantic voice of Angela. She could understand her fear. It was Thailog, and he was unpredictable at the best of times.

She watched as a green blur flew at the large gargoyle, belatedly realizing it was Lexington. Thailog merely threw him aside like an annoying insect. The sound of the gargoyle hitting the wall was deafening, and he slumped to the ground unconscious.

"So, I finally get you alone and unprotected," came the sinister voice from the doorway. She watched as the male came slowly into the room. Mirah began cautiously circling the opposite way that Thailog was walking. She could see the amusement in his eyes, and it didn't bode well for her. Her only chance was to get to the door, and hopefully the roof. She might have better maneuverability there.

"Now, you are scared of me, are you," questioned the gargoyle, continuing his advance. As a matter of fact, she was scared. She might be a technical genius and able to use rudimentary magic, hell, she was also incredibly strong, but her she was still weaker than the male in front of her. And he was very smart. After all, he had been educated by Xanatos. Her only hope was to out think or out maneuver him. And she wasn't sure she could.

She was very close to the door now, but she couldn't give away her plan. When she was just feet from the door, she lunged for the opening. Surprisingly, she made it. Not so surprisingly, Thailog was on her before she'd taken more than a few steps toward the roof. He grabbed her around the waist, and she immediately began struggling, screaming at the top of her lungs.

"Fight all you want, woman, but you cannot escape me," growled his voice behind her. Then she felt something being pressed against her face and the smell of chloroform hit her nose. She tried to push his arm away from her face and hold her breath, but she could keep it up. As she breathed in, the chemical rushed through her body. She could feel her mind getting hazy and her struggles weaker. Eventually, she couldn't see anything but black.

Thailog waited until the human's struggles ceased, and she hung limply in his arms. Such a strong will. He struggles had made him quicken with arousal, and he could already feel how delicious she would be to break. Dropping the cloth, he shifted the woman until she was draped over his arms, out cold. Smirking evilly, he headed back into the computer room. He picked up a discarded comm unit and brought it to his ear.

"Hello, Goliath," he drawled. His smile only widened when he was greeted with curses.

"What have you done to them, Thailog," came the guttural reply. The clan leader's anger was almost palpable.

"Oh, don't worry _father_, you little clan member is fine. He might have a hell of a headache, but other than that," he trailed off, enjoying the torture he was inflicting on the other gargoyle.

"Where is Mirah," came the demand. Thailog could only laugh. How delightful. It would seem he'd get to kill two birds with one stone. He would have the little female, and drive Goliath mad in the process.

"I'm afraid you won't get to see her for a little bit, _father_. She's...indisposed at the moment. Maybe when she wakes up, I'll contact you," he replied. The last thing Goliath heard before the comm unit was shut off was Thailog's laughter.

OMG! I am soooo sorry it's taken me (literally) forever to update! I just couldn't get inspired. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please read and review to keep my juices flowing!

Sesshluver


	6. A Rescue Too Late?

The clan landed on the roof of the castle, quickly hurrying inside. Brooklyn was the first to the computer room, and he stopped and stared in astonishment. The room was a complete wrecked. Computers and equipment were upended and thrown everywhere. Much of it was broken. There were only a few pieces, mostly near the central hub, that were unscathed. He heard gasps from behind him and knew the rest of the clan had arrived.

A corner of the debris began to shift, and Brooklyn crouched into a fighting stance, growling. He could hear the echoing growls of his clan behind him. It abruptly stopped when Lexington appeared, groaning and rubbing his head. There was blood running down his face from a gash in his forehead. Brooklyn rushed into the room, helping the smaller gargoyle to sit up, checking to make sure the gash in his forehead was the only wound. Thankfully, it was. And it was not as bad as it had appeared from the doorway.

"What happened," Hudson asked, his brogue heavy with concern and anger. Someone had dared to invade their home. Had taken one of theirs.

"We both heard the alarm go off," began the hesitant and pain filled reply, "Mirah was trying to locate the intruder. The door...the door just flew of the hinges. I-It...ow...slammed into the wall over there," he continued, pointing to said door resting against the opposite wall. All eyes took in the distance between the doorway and wall.

"I saw him in the doorway. He was focused on Mirah. She couldn't see who it was yet. I lunged at him, hoping to distract him. He hit me, and that's all I remember," he said. He was angry and frustrated with himself. He should have protected her.

"Lexington," came the sharp command, making everyone look toward their leader, "you did the best that you could. Now we need to focus on how to find her." Goliath came forward and put a comforting hand on the smaller gargoyle's shoulder. He knew that the male blamed himself for Mirah's kidnapping, but there was only so much he could do. Their focus now had to be on retrieving her.

"Well, if Thailog didn't take her medallion, it has a tracking device in it, just like ours," said the technology loving gargoyle. When Mirah had given them the medallions they now all wore, she had made an extra for herself. While it did not work, she didn't have the same needs as the rest of the clan, it did have a tracking device. It might be their only chance.

"Good. Start trying to find her," began Goliath, "The rest of you. We need to figure out how Thailog was able to reach this room so quickly. The alarm should have sounded as soon as he broke in. The door is too far away for him to have made it here so quickly without help."

Just as he finished talking, the sound of footsteps reached the clan's ears. As one, they turned to the doorway and watched Xanatos step through. They could see his shock and anger over the damage done. Carefully, he walked among the debris, looking at the destroyed computers and overturned equipment.

"What happened," he asked, the words sounding like a growl. Xanatos rarely lost his cool. To do so now meant he had not had any knowledge of the break in. Though none really thought he did, it was sometimes still hard to remember that he was on their sound now. Especially when something like this happened.

"Thailog broke in and took Mirah. We are not sure how he was able to reach this room so quickly after the alarm sounded," answered Goliath. Sighing, Xanatos brought a hand up to his forehead, rubbing at the headache he could feel forming. 'Son of a bitch. I knew I should have changed that alarm system again.'

"I might know. The company who installed the alarm system recently discovered a defect. It is possible to delay the alarm up to sixty seconds. That knowledge was only known by a few, but I forget Thailog's skill with computers." He slammed his hand into one of the tables, needing the pain that blossomed over his knuckles. This was his fault. That woman trusted him to keep her safe, and he'd failed. Worse, Fox was going to kill him. She'd taken quite a liking to the little female.

"We could not have predicted Thailog would strike here again. He rarely tries the same tactic more than once," answered Brooklyn. Even he could see that Xanatos was upset and blaming himself.

"The question is, what do we do now," said Angela.

"Lexington is working on tracking her through her medallion. Let us hope he can find her quickly," answered Goliath. It had now been almost an hour since the kidnapping. Every second meant that Thailog could be hurting Mirah. They were all anxious.

Ten minutes later, the main computer console sprang to life. The image of Thailog appeared in what looked like a bedroom. They could tell he was somewhere in the city because they could hear traffic noise, but everything else was obscured by curtain covered windows. The dark gargoyle was laughing. Goliath could barely contain his urge to slam his hand through that smirking face.

"Greetings. It would seem that the chloroform our little human was exposed to is wearing off quicker than expected. Must be that gargoyle DNA she has," he said, chuckling at the surprised looks of the others.

"Did you think I didn't know? I happen to be _very_ good at hacking. Xanatos can tell you that. I know all about our little Mirah. She is quite something. I think I will have a lot of fun with her," he mused, before reaching over and dragging something into view of the camera. They realized with a sick sense of dread that it was Mirah. She was obviously still groggy from the chloroform, but she was awake.

"She's quite beautiful, isn't she," continued Thailog, raising Mirah's head up by her chin, forcing her to look into the camera. Then he tilted her head back and brought her chin down, forcing her mouth open. He brought his lips to hers, pushing his tongue into her mouth, and slowly exploring its depths. All the while, Mirah kept pushing weakly against the arm holding her head in place. But she was still feeling the effects of the chloroform. She was not more than a tiny mosquito battering itself against a lion. Finally, Thailog released her mouth, allowing her to take a gasping breath.

Unfortunately, he wasn't finished with her yet. He quickly positioned her in his lap, legs draped over his own, front facing the camera, with an arm holding her in place. He brings his hand up, grasping a plump breast and giving it a lustful squeeze. Mirah drew in a gasp, bringing her hands up to stop Thailog. But, just like with the kiss, she cannot get him to release her. Distracted by the hand fondling her breast, it takes a minute for her to realize that his unoccupied hand is at the fastening of her jeans.

"Such a beautiful body she has," he continued saying, while deftly unsnapping and unzipping her jeans. He reached his hand into her pants, under her panties, to caress her clit. Mirah was getting desperate now, pulling and pushing with all her might to get Thailog's hands off of her. To add insult to injury, he has slipped the hand playing with her breast under her shirt and his playing with her bra now.

"I have to tell you, Goliath, she feels very good," taunted the dark gargoyle. He chuckled as he heard the growls coming from the angry gargoyles' mouths. So much fun this was becoming. He glanced at the clock to his left, noticing the time. 'Ah, well, playtime is over.'

"I'll make sure to take good care of her _father_. But...dawn is approaching. Have a nice sleep," he said before ending the communication, laughing. As the computer screen went black, Goliath could no longer contain himself and smashed his hand through the screen.

"Hurry Lexington. Thailog does not know we can stay animated in the sun now. We must find her," he said, causing the small gargoyle to renew his frantic search.

Mirah tried desperately to get Thailog's hand away from her crotch, but was not having any luck. She knew that the worst was yet to come. Her only comfort was knowing that he was unaware of the clan's ability to stay awake during the day. And he hadn't taken her medallion. If she could hold him off long enough, she might still get out of this relatively unscathed.

With a yelp, she was tossed onto the bed behind her. Using her momentum, she tried rolling to the other side of the bed. She wasn't fast enough, and felt a rough hand grab her ankle, halting her motion. She looked back into the leering face of Thailog and tried to kick him in the face with her free leg. Again, he caught her before she'd completed her action.

"Come now, you know I'm going to get my way in the end," he taunted, drawing her closer to him. She reared up into a sitting position, intent on punching him in the face. She may not be as strong as a male gargoyle, but she could stun him if she got a good enough hit in. Before she quite knew what was happening, Thailog had grabbed both of her hands, positioning himself so that he was sitting on top of her, pinning her thighs to the mattress.

"Now our fun begins," he said huskily, reaching down to her shirt and ripping it from her body. Her bra quickly followed, leaving her breasts bare to his lustful gaze. She cringed away from his stare, but could not move to cover herself. She felt something being wrapped around her wrists, and realized too late that Thailog had tied her hands together with the torn shreds of her t-shirt. 'Shit, what do I do now?'

With her hands out of the way, Thailog reaches down and roughly kneads her breast, bringing his mouth down to her other one. He quickly sucks her nipple into his mouth, making her squirm with disgust. He continues to lave her nipple, running his tongue around the aureole while twisting the other between his fingers. She arches up into the touch, angry with herself for responding to the maniac above her. She then screams when he bites down harshly on the nipple in his mouth, sure he's drawn blood. Chuckling darkly, he risings up, looking down at her with lust burning brightly in his eyes. She looks down to her abused breast, and is slightly grateful it isn't bleeding.

"I am going to enjoy taking you, little human. And I will take you many times before this day is over," he promised before giving her other breast the same treatment the first had received. By this time, Mirah is panting. No matter how much she hates it, her body is responding to Thailog's ministrations. She knows that it's just a physiological response to stimulus, but it still makes her ashamed.

Thailog eases himself off of her, and she takes the scant opportunity to try and wriggle away from him again. He just laughs and grabs her jeans, pulling them off her body. She had no idea where her shoes have gone, and the thought that he might have removed even that article of clothing while she was unconscious makes her cringe. He grabs her legs, forcing them apart and bringing her closer to his mouth. She has a horrible feeling she know what he's going to do. Sure enough, he rips the underwear from her both, forcing her legs over his shoulders and gives her a teasing lick.

Though she does not want to, Mirah lets out a moan at the feel of the tongue laving her labia. She bucks, trying to dislodge his head, but he merely holds her hips down with one of his hands while the other holds her bound wrists, effectively immobilizing her. He continues his torture, bringing her swollen clit into his mouth and suckling it. The stimulation causes her to writhe on the bed, moaning. Tears fall hotly down her face. She is angry, humiliated, and frustrated by her body's response to Thailog's stimulation.

"Please stop. I don't want this," she cries, even as she can feel her orgasm approaching. The torture stops for a moment as the dark gargoyle lifts his head to look into her eyes.

"Your body would say otherwise," he answers, before returning to his ministrations. He becomes more aggressive, pistoning his tongue in and out of her opening, mimicking what he will do to her soon enough. Try as she might, Mirah cannot stop the approaching orgasm, and bites her bottom lip hard to keep herself from shouting her release, even as her body bows from the pleasure racking it.

"See, you body knows exactly what it wants," Thailog says, laughing at her panting form. He crawls up her body until he comes to rest on her chest. Thankfully, he does not put his considerable weight down on her. She would not be able to breath if he did. But the sight in front of her is just as frightening. Sometime during his assault on her body, Thailog had managed to remove his loincloth, leaving his erection free. She couldn't stop either the widening of her eyes or the gasp that escapes her mouth. He is very well endowed. Which, isn't surprising considering his size, but it makes her fearful nonetheless.

He draws her head up slightly while guiding his erection to her mouth. She knows what he is planing, but she refuses to let him. Stubbornly, she keeps her mouth firmly closed. She may not have been able to keep from responding to his touch, but she could refuse to pleasure him. Unfortunately, resistance was not an option. Thailog simply held her nose closed, waiting until she could no longer keep from drawing in a breath through her mouth. He quickly pushed the head of his erection into her warm mouth.

"Do not bite me," he warned, "or I will make you suffer." Though that had been exactly what she was thinking, she knew he would not hesitate to follow through with his threat. He brings her tied hands up above her head, holding them down, while tilting her head up. Then he begins fucking her mouth. He does ease himself in. Rather, he uses her mouth like his own personal sex toy, plunging in and out of her warm heat. He is pleasantly surprised that she has no gag reflex. It only makes him fuck her mouth harder. She can feel the tears trekking down her face.

He can feel himself getting closer to that precipice. The warm, moist heat of her mouth is exquisite. The fact that she is being held down and forced to take him all in even more so. Just as he reaches the pinnacle and is about to tumble over, he stops. He pulls himself from her mouth, somewhat disappointed that he couldn't finish, but he wishes to end this first time with her cumming deeply within her body, to feel her vaginal muscles squeeze him as he pushes in and out of her.

"And now for the grand finale...or at least one of them," he says huskily. Mirah's eyes widen with horror, knowing what he wants. She suddenly turns into a wildcat, clawing and screaming at him. She fights with everything she has to get away from him, drawing blood where she scratches at his arms and chest. But it isn't enough. Sooner than she wishes, he has forced her legs open and settled between her spread thighs. He takes her bound hands and once again pushes them above her head and his other hand positions himself at her entrance. And then he starts. She can feel this massive, blunt _thing_ entering her, pushing against her walls and stretching them. The burn is horrible, and she sobs as she feels each thick inch of him.

Thailog is in heaven. She is so tight that he knows he will not last long this first time. The sounds of her sobs only work to make him that much more horny as he slides in inch by delicious inch until he is seated fully within her body. He can smell the tang of blood and smiles in satisfaction at realizing she is a virgin. He withdraws all but the head of his cock, preparing to plunge back into her depths when the door to his bedroom is thrown open.

He freezes, turning to look at who has intruded on his pleasure and is shocked to see Goliath and his clan. He quickly pulls the rest of the way out of Mirah's body, turning to face the intruders. Goliath lunges for him, and Thailog is unprepared for the pure, unadulterated vengeance with which Goliath attacks him. He is thrown back against the far wall by the angry gargoyle. Before he knows it, he has four enraged gargoyles surrounding him.

Mirah heard a crash, and then Thailog was off of her. She rolled into a ball, curling in on herself. She felt a hand touch her. She let out a whimper of fear, quickly scuttling away from the touch, curling even further into herself. It was him. She knew it. The crash was just something simple, and he was back to finish what he started.

"Mirah, it's me, Angela," came the soft voice. The _feminine _voice. She looked up into familiar eyes, and felt a sob escape her lips. Quickly, the female gargoyle had her wrapped in a sheet, covering her nudity from prying eyes. She was drawn into strong, caring arms, who were rocking her gently, telling her she was safe now. She clung to the body, looking around. That's when she spotted the others.

They had surrounded Thailog, who was backed against a window. Their eyes were glowing white hot with their rage. Even though they presented a frightening picture, she was not scared of them. They made her feel safe. They had come for her. She saw Goliath preparing to lunge for Thailog, and knew the clan leader was intent on murder. Somehow, she couldn't let that happen. Couldn't be the reason for him taking a life. And she so very badly wanted him to hold her in his strong arms. He was safe.

"Goliath," came the soft voice, breaking him out of his murderous haze. It was all the opportunity Thailog needed. He slammed through the window, flying off into the night. Growling with rage, Goliath went to follow, but again, he was called by that soft voice. Turning, he met tearful ocean blue eyes with a ring of lavender.

Slowly, he approached the little female. She was shaking, he could tell that even from here. He knelt next to the bed, bring a warm hand up to touch her shoulder. That was apparently all the encouragement she needed, because he suddenly had a lap full of sobbing female. He gently stroked her back, making sure the sheet wrapped around her was held firmly in place, shielding her nudity. Carefully, he lifted her into his arms, surprised that instead of flinching away, she held on even tighter.

The flight home was quiet. Somewhere along the way, Mirah had stopped crying, and merely sat huddled against Goliath's chest, enjoying the warmth and safety he radiated. When they returned to the castle, Goliath brought her to her room, setting her down in front of her bathroom. She clutched the sheet tightly to her body, looking at him with luminous eyes.

"Will you stay, please," she asked, looking lost and frightened. He was surprised that she would want a male anywhere near her right now.

"Perhaps I can get Angela..." he began.

"No! I...I want you to stay. I...she...you make me feel safe," she finished simply. It wasn't that she didn't trust the other gargoyle, but Goliath had this aura. It said that he would protect you, keep away the nightmares, and she needed that.

"Alright," he answered simply, moving to lay on the bed as she turned and entered the bathroom. She quickly came back out, meeting his questioning stare with a small smile as she grabbed an oversized t-shirt and underwear before once again entering the bathroom.

Mirah spent the next thirty minutes scrubbing her body to with an inch of its life. She shaved, washed her hair, and just stood under the warm spray after gingerly cleaning her vagina, small traces of blood still coming out. She had always hoped her first time would be with someone she loved, and that had been taken away from her. She could feel the tears threatening again, but she refused to let them fall. That bastard had taken enough from her.

Finally clean and dried, she exited the bathroom, a cloud of stream preceding her entrance. She walked to the bed, meeting the dark eyes of Goliath as she crawled into the bed. Quietly, she snuggled against the large gargoyle, bringing his arm around her waist and hugging it when she didn't receive a protest. She let his scent and the warmth radiating off of him lull her to sleep.


	7. What it Should Be Like

She could feel his hands touching her, sliding across her body, grabbing at her breasts painfully. She whimpered in her sleep, trying to get the hands off of her. He slid his hand down, past her waist into her underwear, stoking her clit. She could hear him chuckling in her ear even as she fought him. She didn't want this. He wasn't the right one. He was evil. He was going to hurt her. She cried out.

"No...stop...let me go...no...no...NO," she yelled, bolting up in bed. Wildly she looked around, searching for _HIM_. But he wasn't here. She was safe. Thailog would not be able to get to her. Taking a deep breath, Mirah ran a hand through her sweat damp hair. Another nightmare. Or should she say daymare? After all, her lifestyle of helping the gargoyle clan meant she slept mostly during the day. Not that it mattered. Either way, she wasn't getting enough sleep because _HE_ was haunting her dreams. And not in a good way.

She kept hoping the dreams would fade, but they hadn't. The first week had been bliss. Goliath had stayed with her every night (day), just holding her. And it had kept the nightmares away. She had felt guilty. Eventually, he was going to get tired of coddling her. So, being the fool that she is, she let him off the hook. She thought since she hadn't been plagued by nightmares, that she would be okay on her own. But she wasn't. Knowing Goliath was there had helped her fight off her fears. Now that he no longer kept watch over her at night, she wasn't sleeping well.

Sighing, she got up and headed into the bathroom. Looking at her reflection in the mirror, she had to cringe. She looked awful. There were big circles under her eyes, which appeared dull, and she was paler than normal. Oh well. Splashing water on her face to waken it a bit, she patted her face dry and reentered her bedroom. She grabbed a comfortable pair of jeans and a t-shirt, pulling her hair back from her face. Looking at her alarm clock, it read 8:05 pm. The sun would be going down soon, which meant the gargoyles would be waking up.

She began walking toward the castle roof. One thing she was grateful for was not hearing any news about Thailog. After the break in, Xanatos had update the alarm system. It now rivaled the Pentagon, which brought her a measure of comfort. And, Thailog had been quiet of late. While that worried her on one hand, it made it easier to get through the day-to-day because she was still too vulnerable to handle meeting up with him. Which is also why she'd been staying at the castle with Lexington during patrol.

Reaching the roof just as the sun made its descent toward the horizon, she admired the myriad of colors. That was one of the simple pleasures she got from living with the gargoyles. She got to view sunsets and sunrises on a regular basis. As the sun finally sank below the horizon, she heard the distinct crack that signaled the clan was waking up. While they had the ability to stay awake during the day, they didn't often use it. Part of what made them strong was the complete rejuvenation they received via being in stone during the day.

She was hoping to upgrade their medallions in the next couple of months to help with that. That way, they could remain animated during the day and still get the healing and rejuvenation they needed. But that kind of project required a lot of magic. So, she was slowly transferring magic to several items in the hopes of storing enough for the process. Only time would tell. As the last clan member awakened, Mirah grabbed Lexington and headed back into the castle, calling out to the rest of the clan on the way back in.

"Lex and I are heading to the computer room. We'll monitor stuff from there," she said. The clan looked at her worriedly. They could all see the circles and paleness.

"I fear the lass is not sleeping well," commented Hudson. While he viewed each clan member as family and loved them dearly, Mirah had captured a special place in his heart. He thought that if he'd had a daughter, she would be like Mirah.

"I too see that she is not doing well. Perhaps it is time I spoke with her," Goliath answered, casting worried eyes toward the door that allowed entrance to the castle from the roof.

"Aye, laddy. That be a fine idea," Hudson acknowledged.

The clan turned and set off on their nightly patrol. Fortunately, there was very little going on. A few minor crimes, mostly robberies that were quickly called to a halt. It was barely 2 am when the clan returned to the castle. Goliath strode toward the castle entrance, wishing to talk with Mirah as soon as possible. Reaching the computer room, he was surprised to find Lexington staring at a slumbering Mirah.

"She fell asleep about thirty minutes ago. I didn't have the heart to wake her. She looks like she's hardly slept lately," came the soft reply to Goliath's questioning stare. Nodding acceptance, he stepped into the computer room and lifted her up. Each gargoyle's eyes widened when the small female snuggled into Goliath's chest, never waking.

Striding from the room, he carried her toward her bedroom, hoping that she would sleep for many hours longer. She needed it. Entering the room, he pulled the covers down, setting her gently on the bed and removing her shoes. He covered her and sat in a plush chair not far from her bed, and began to watch.

It didn't take long, maybe twenty minutes, when she began whimpering. He watched, hoping to find out what had been keeping her from sleeping the past few weeks. The whimpering grew louder, and Mirah began to shake her head back and forth. Her hands clawed at the covers. It was obvious she was having a nightmare, but he did not know what about.

"No...no," she whimpered, thrashing around, "let go...LET ME GO," she screamed. Bolting upright, she looked around the room, eyes unerringly finding him in the dark. He expected her to be frightened. But, he did not know how, she always seemed to know if one of the clan was with her.

"I'm sorry," she says, blushing in the dark. His night vision could easily make out the reddening of her checks. She had nothing to be sorry for.

"I am sorry. I was hoping to find out what had been bothering you," he began, "but you were sleeping. When did the nightmares start?" The question was not unwelcome, but she still felt butterflies in her stomach. She felt so weak, succumbing to her fears as she had.

"I...that is...well...after you stopped sleeping in here with me," she finally admitted, her blush darkening. Goliath felt a wave of shame course through him. How could he have missed something so obvious? She had done fine the first week after her abduction, but had been getting steadily worse since. He should have stayed, despite her assurances that she was fine. He knew the only reason he'd given in so easily was because of his growing attraction toward her. Though it had started before Thailog had taken her, he highly doubted she would want another male's attentions after such a trama.

"Again, I am sorry. I should have realized," he answered, somewhat at a loss for words.

"It's okay. You couldn't have know. I just...I just can't get the memory of his hands touching me to go away," she whispered. Goddess, if she blushed anymore, they'd be able to fry an egg on her head. She needed to tell him. What harm could it do.

"Goliath," she began tentatively, looking up at him. Seeing him make an encouraging expression with his hands, she bravely continued.

"I know...um...wh-what Elisa did to you and the clan. I...I've been attracted to you for awhile...but...um didn't...didn't want you to think I was like her. I just...could...please, make Thailog's touch go away," she pleaded, eyes beseeching him earnestly.

"It doesn't have to mean anything beyond now, but I can't keep going like this," she continued, looking down at the hands clasped in her lap. Goddess, she hoped he would understand. And if he refused, she hoped he wouldn't treat her differently. She was putting a lot on the line.

Goliath was surprised to say the least. Here he'd been fighting his attraction, when she felt the same. But would she really be able to engage in such an act with him? He looked and sounded almost exactly like the male who had attacked her. Would she not think that she was being raped all over again?

"Are you sure, Mirah. I don't want you to fear me, put me in the same category as Thailog," he asked. He had to be sure. She was much too fragile right now to risk if she wasn't sure.

"Goliath, you and Thailog may be genetically identical, but you are _nothing_ like him," she replied, leaning forward with the depth of her conviction.

"He has nothing but evil in his heart. He lusts for power: monetary and over those weaker than himself. You only seek to protect," she continued. It was imperative that he understand in her mind, Goliath and Thailog were not, could not, be considered remotely the same. He was still quiet though. The weight of her plea began bearing down on her. He wasn't interested. Or worse, he was disgusted.

"I...I understand. You don't need to worry about it," she whispered. Goddess above she was an idiot.

"That's not it," the male answered, making her head shoot up, "I just don't want to take advantage of you while you are still recovering from what happened."

"Don't you see? I _need_ this to help me recover. He _stole_ something from me, Goliath. And I need to get it back," she cried, tears filling her eyes. But she refused to let them fall. She'd cried enough over that evil bastard, and she wasn't going to do so anymore. She felt a gentle hand lift her face, meeting equally gentle eyes as her tears were wipe away.

"Very well. But we will go at your pace," he said. She felt her heart leap. Finally, she would know what it felt like to experience sexual pleasure with someone she lov...was attracted to. Her brain skirted from the L word, knowing that right now was not the time to contemplate something so important.

"And Mirah," he continued, waiting until she met his eyes, "this is not a one-time thing. What I feel for you is worth more than a casual encounter. We will have this night and see what the future brings us," he finished. She nodded her head that she understood.

Goliath sat on the bed, legs slightly parted so Mirah could step between them, wings relaxed. She stood, coming to stand in front of him. Now that he'd agreed, she found herself nervous. Would he enjoy this? Goddess she hoped so. Gently, she ghosted her fingers over his brow ridges. They had fascinated her from the moment she'd met him. She heard him gasp and felt his hands hold on to her waist. So, an erogenous zone? Interesting.

She continued her careful exploration. She moved down his face, over his closed eyes, across his cheekbones. She brought her other hand up to gently caress both of his ears. Again, she felt him momentarily tighten his hold on her waist. She smiled. Next, she gave a featherlight caress to his mouth, gasping when he drew her fingers into his mouth and laved them. Who knew her hands were so sensitive? After he released her fingers, she continued trailing her hand down, leaving a cool trail where her still wet fingers had touched.

"Can...um...would you...uh...move back until you're resting against the headboard," she asked, stuttering a little. He was so gorgeous. Quietly, he did as she asked, shifting until he was comfortable, with several pillows supporting his back and his wings relaxed. All that power...she thought. Slowly, she crawled onto the bed until she was between his spread thighs.

Sliding up his body until she was gripping his shoulders, she leaned in, bringing her lips to rest against his. Again, she felt his hands on her waist as he opens his mouth, tongues meeting and exploring. She groans with pleasure. How could a kiss be so erotic? She is barely aware as Goliath lifts her and settles her in his lap, legs wrapped loosely around his thighs. She can feel the beginnings of his erection, and it makes her shiver in arousal.

She grasps one of the wrists attached to the hands spanning her waist and brings it up to settle the hand on her breast. Immediately, he begins to knead. Her nipples pucker in arousal and his fingers find it, tweaking and rolling it in his fingers through the thin t-shirt and lace of her bra. She cannot help the moan that transfers from her mouth to his. They've been kissing for what seems like forever, barely breaking to draw in a breath. It's like a drug to her.

"More," she breathes out, lost in the haze of sensations that Goliath is rousing in her. He complies, bringing both hands under her shirt to caress her through her bra. Again, he seeks out her nipples, rolling them, pulling, and tweaking them. Each sends a shot of sensation from there to her groin. She can feel herself getting wet.

Goliath's hands slide up, taking her shirt with them, slipping the material off and tossing it somewhere into the darkness of her bedroom. She returns for another kiss and quickly finds herself atop the large gargoyle. Sometime during their kiss he's managed to maneuver until he is laying on his back, her straddling his frame. Again she goes for his lips. She can feel that hers are becoming swollen from the constant pressure, but she doesn't care.

She smiles as he groans into their kiss, tongues melding and she accidentally rubs against his arousal. The second time is not accidental though. She is enjoying the power she has, giving him pleasure. She works her way down, kissing his neck and chest before coming to a dark nipple. She laves at the flat aureole before scraping her teeth across the puckered flesh. The loud groan and the feel of his erection grinding into her arousal cause and answering moan to leave her mouth even as she moves to torture his other nipple. The hands that have once again returned to her waist tighten.

Mirah gently rubs against his erection some more, but she soon finds herself on her back, Goliath looming over her. He sees no fear in her eyes, and he is grateful. He cannot continue lying idly by while she tortures his body. He takes the straps of her bra, pulling them down until her breasts are exposed. They are a rich cream color with a soft pink aureola, large enough to fit in his hand, but not so large as to spill over. They are perfect. He bends down, taking one of the succulent nipples into his mouth, suckling it. He releases the nipple with an audible pop before circling his tongue around it, creating smaller and smaller circles until he can flick his tongue across the peak. She arches up into the touch, gasping and moaning. It feels so good. He reaches his hands behind her back, finding the fastening to her bra.

It takes him a moment, but he finally figures out the mechanism for releasing the bra and throwing it in the darkness where her t-shirt has disappeared. He moves to give equal attention to her other breast, while his hand glides down and around to cup her bottom, bringing her around up to rub against his cock. They both groan at the contact. Releasing her nipples, he kisses his way down her body, sticking his tongue into her bellybutton. This causes her to giggle, and he smiles in contentment. He is happy that she is enjoying this.

Goliath reaches Mirah's jeans. He gently unsnaps them, bring the zipper down. He glances up for permission before removing the article of clothing. This is an important step. She nods her head and he pulls the jeans from her body. He brings his hand up to caress her through her underwear, moving to kiss her lips again. She jumps at the contact, not used to male touching her in such an intimate spot.

"It is okay, Mirah. I will not hurt you," he whispers as we breaks the kiss. Tentatively, he moves his hand inside her underwear, stroking her clit and pushing a finger into her. She gasps, arching up at the unexpected, heady feeling. He lightly kisses her again before moving back to her breasts. He pleasures her with his fingers, adding another while his thumb strokes her clit. As he does this, his mouth once again feasts on her breast. She is beautiful succumbing to the pleasure, her cries music to his ears.

He wishes to taste her. He slides her underwear off, noticing they are soaked with her fluids. The thought of that causes a bolt of pure need to race to his aching cock. He settles himself between her legs, encouraging her to put her legs of his shoulders. Then, he feasts on the delicacy before him. He begins with gently licks from her opening to her clit. He is surprised that she has very little hair, but he knows that some females choose to keep themselves trimmed. He finds that he likes it. He continues his oral ministrations, plunging his tongue into her every so often. He scraps his fangs lightly against her clit, having to hold her hips down when she bucks up at the sensation. He then brings his tongue to her opening and begins thrusting within her in earnest, his thumb massaging her clit. It does not take long before she is crying out her release, and his tongue is flooded with her orgasm. She tastes amazing.

Goliath waits for her to come back down from her high. She gasps for breath, her body slowly cooling and nipples puckering even more from the sensation. He finds the sight riveting. Finally, she comes back to herself and looks at him. The looks very nearly makes him cum. Her eyes are so dilated that there is only the thinnest ring of lavender. No ocean blue to been seen.

"Take off your loincloth, Goliath," she demands, sitting up on the bed as he moves to stand before her. He removes the belt that holds his loincloth up, throwing it into the chair he had originally been occupying. Then, he slides the cloth down his legs, freeing his erection along the way. He watches her expression as his lust is exposed. Her eyes are wides, but she does not look fearful. When she licks her lips, he has to consciously keep himself from lunging at her. This is for her, he reminds himself.

She gets off the bed, walking slowly toward him before kneeling at his feel. Another bolt of pure lust shoots to his cock. The sight of her staring so rapturously at his arousal is decidedly addictive. Tentatively, she grasps his cock, and he cannot help the groan of pure need that escapes him. Thankfully, rather than making her scared, she gets a wicked gleam in her eye. She licks the bulging vein that runs from the base of his cock to the head. Before she takes the head into her mouth, he gently stops her. She looks up at him questioningly.

"You don't have to do that," he says. He knows what Thailog did to her, and he doesn't want her to feel like all males require that sort of pleasure. Although he aches with the want of it, he can live without.

"But I want to," she answers before taking the head into her mouth. The groan he lets out is powerful, and he finds one of his hands has gripped her head, fingers tangled in her hair. He stops himself from just plunging blindly into her warm mouth, but it is a struggle. She begins sucking the head of his cock, releasing it to run her tongue around it and into the slit. It's a lot like eating a lollipop she muses. She can taste his precome, and finds it has a slightly sweet taste that helps offset the bitter. She likes it.

She gradually works his entire length into her mouth, some even entering her throat. She doesn't gag, which is good, because Goliath doesn't know if he could have stopped the small thrusts he was doing every time she took him back in. It was amazing to watch his length disappear into her mouth. Even several of the females of his kind would not be able to do what this little slip of a human is. She releases his cock, but before he can be too disappointed, she takes one of his balls into her mouth while gently massaging the other. All this while she strokes his cock. She then begins alternatively between using her mouth on his cock and his balls, hands keeping the other occupied. She is now bobbing her head on he length, rolling his balls in her hand. He can feel the orgasm coming. He stops her before that can happen.

"I want to cum inside you," he answers to her questioning look. He guides her back to the bed, laying down once more on his back. He wants to feel like she has the control for this. He lifts her over his straining erection before slowly, oh so slowly, lowering her down. She takes him in inch by inch, the burn on the precipice between too much and just right. Finally, when she thinks that there's no way any more of him can fit inside her, she fells her thighs come to rest against his, his cock barely kissing something inside her. She thinks it's her womb. The thought brings another jolt of longing to her groin.

Goliath waits for her to adjust, looking to make sure she is not in too much pain. The need to lose himself in her is great, but he controls in with an iron will. When she begins to tentatively wiggle, he takes that as his cue. He lifts he a few inches before letting her slowly sink back down onto his length. Once she gets the hang of it, he releases her waist to bring his hands of to her breasts. Her own small hands cover his much larger ones as he kneads her breasts, occasionally rolling her nipples between his fingers.

He sits up, pulling her against his chest as they rock together, kissing her, tongue delving into her mouth. She tastes like heaven. He can feel his orgasm building up again. Knows that her's is too by the moans she lets out. Her head falls back as he rocks faster into her heat. He buries his own head into her neck, a hand reaching down between their bodies to massage her clit. Her breathing picks up, she's gasping for air, the crescendo rising. One more stroke of his thumb, and she's sailing over, crying out, muscles clamping down hard. He pumps into a few more times, the tight walls of her vagina clamping down on him like a vice before he's also tumbling over the edge, fangs sinking into her neck and drawing blood, heightening both of their orgasms.

He gently withdraws from her, taking her into the bathroom. He moistens a towel, cleaning both of them up before discarding it in the sink. He carries her back into her bedroom. Laying her down, he crawls in behind her, an arm wrapped protectively around her waist. She can feel the exhaustion weighing on her, but she doesn't fight it this time. She allows sleep to take her, and no nightmares come to haunt her.


	8. Not Enough

Amarha signed with frustration. Ever since the "incident," Oberon had been pushing her away. He could barely look at her. It was driving her _crazy_. She had apologized (several times), but he was still distant. The only time she got to see him was at meals, or if she was giving reports about her spying mission. And even at those times, there was minimal conversation. Speaking of reports, she was heading toward her lord's office now with one. She knocked.

"Enter," came the dry tone. It still sent shivers down her spine. Shaking out of her stupor, she open the door.

"Ah, Amarha, you have news," he asked, giving her a quick glance before once again studiously studying the papers before him. Gritting her teeth in annoyance, she cleared her throat.

"Yes, my Lord. The latest intelligence I've gathered is most disturbing," she began. And it was. The things she overheard was making Amarha nervous. If Titania succeeding, Avalon would be ruined and her lord dead.

"And," came the drawl, ice blue eyes finally, _finally_ looking at her. She could barely make herself speak. Those eyes were intense on the best of days.

"Um...oh yes...Cyane has gathered almost two hundred to Titania's cause," she began, "They are mostly lower level Avalonians, without significant power, but there are a few that could pose a real threat. That's not the most disturbing part though." Here she paused. She didn't want to voice what she'd found out aloud. It was almost too horrific to think of.

"Continue," came the reply. He was now leaning back in his chair, legs and arms crossed. Goddess he was beautiful.

"Titania...Titania is planning to poison you," she cried out, "I was able to hear here describe her plan. The poison can be slipped into food or drink. It's affects are immediate. She said that were you to succumb to it, you would no longer be a threat." She was wringing her hands by this point. Oberon, however, seemed completely unfazed. It infuriated her. Couldn't he see the danger.

"I see. I will need to employ a taster for meals then," was the response. She abruptly stopped wringing her hands. Of course. That was the obvious answer. Releasing a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding, she smiled at Oberon.

"If that's all, you may leave," came the monotone. Her smile promptly fell.

"But...My Lord, perhaps," she began.

"I said that is all," came the thundered reply, "I have more important matters to see to then your need for attention." She could feel the tears gathering in her eyes, but she was not going to let them fall. He would only see that as more weakness.

"As you wish, My Lord," she said quietly, turning to exit the office. As she crossed the threshold, she could feel the first traitorous tear hit her arm. Why was he so angry with her?

Over the next two weeks, she saw continued to only see Lord Oberon at meals or to report. Thankfully, he'd begun using a taster at meals. She was infinitely pleased. She had been scared he would dismiss her intel and continue on as if nothing was amiss. She could also see that Titania was livid. The Queen kept sending glares to her husband, know that anyone trying to slip something to him was going to be hard pressed to succeed. Amarha had to smile at that.

She spent the next several days staying out of Oberon's way. She couldn't handle the constant rejection. It was like being ten years old all over again. She was so lost in her thoughts, that she almost missed the voices. As she was turning the corner, she noticed movement and quickly hid behind a drapery. Oh lord, Titania! Not what she needed.

"And how goes our recruiting," questioned Titania. Her voice alone grated on Amarha's ears.

"It goes well, My Lady," said the simpering voice of Cyane, "we have over two hundred Avalonians willing to fight with us." Goddess above, she wanted to take a red-hot poker and stab him with it. How could he plot against Oberon. He was a good king.

"Good. My plans to poison my _dear husband_," you could hear the disdain in her voice, "is taking longer than I thought. He is harder to get to then normal. But not impossible." She could hear the sneer. Stupid woman. But what did she mean _not impossible._

"How so, My Lady," came the reply. Yes, how so indeed. She could not let her lord be harmed.

"I took the liberty of slipping the poison into his morning tea today. Something he rarely has tasters try first," she said. Shit! This was not good. Amarha didn't need to hear anymore. She raced to Oberon's office, intent on preventing from ingesting that tea.

"Stop," she yelled as she burst through the office door. Oberon's cup was almost to his mouth when she'd burst in. Thankfully, she'd startled him. Rushing forward, she grabbed the tea cup and poured it into the fire, which sputtered a moment before crackling merrily away once again. She turned to see a _very_ angry king.

"What was the meaning of that," he roared, rising from his office chair to storm toward his wayward ward. He grabbed her roughly by the arm, pulling her in close, using his size to intimidate.

"I...um...I...I'm sorry My Lord. I couldn't let you," she cried, tears running down her cheeks. She had never seen him so angry with her. For the first time, she was scared of him.

"And why not," came the deadly voice, hand squeezing her arm. She was sure it would bruise.

"Titania said she poisoned it. I couldn't let you drink it," she said earnestly. Suddenly, Oberon released her, turning away to stalk back to his seat.

"Do you honestly think I did not have someone _test_ the tea before I drank it," he spat. He grabbed the cup, once again refilling it. For a moment, Amarha doubted herself. Her Lord was clever. But he wasn't impenetrable. As he brought the cup to his lips, she again knocked it away. Why wouldn't he trust her. And suddenly, she was angry. More angry then she could ever remember being.

"I'll prove it to you," she yelled, grabbing the cup, filling it, and drinking the whole thing down. Nothing happened. She could see the rage in Oberon's eyes.

"I told you," he began ranting, looking into glazed eyes right before his ward collapsed. She began shivering violently, sweat already beading her brow. Swiftly picking her up, he raced her to her room, yelling for one of the maids to get the healer.

Setting her on her bed, he stripped her down to her underwear, worry filling his eyes. Damn it, she'd been right. And she was suffering for it. The knock on the door alerted him to the healer's presence. An elderly looking woman with wood brown skin, even darker hair, and solid brown eyes, no whites or pupils entered the room.

"What is wrong, Lord Oberon," came the small voice. The woman looked from the Avalonian king to the woman shivering violently in the bed. Briskly, she walked over already assessing the patient before her.

"She ingested a poison. I don't know which," he replied, watching the healer closely. She had worked for him for centuries, but so had his cooks and servants. Yet somehow, poison had been slipped to him anyway. Titania truly was posing a threat.

"Bring me the liquid she ingested," replied the healer, checking the human over for any lesions or foam around the mouth or nose. Nothing. So the poison could work out of her system, if she could survive until that happened. Oberon strode back to his office, seeing that the tea had been removed. So, someone was hoping to cover up their crime. He noticed they had missed the cup, which still held some of the tea within it. Grabbing the cup, he returned to his ward's bedroom.

The healer took the cup Oberon held, looking at the contents. So, the poison could be ingested via food or drink and could be worked out of the system. The list of possibilities was shortening. Taking a small sample of the poison, the healer put it on her tongue. Instantly, she felt desire course through her, but was quickly gone, the dose too small to do more than give a fleeting discomfort. 'Ah, so it's that is it.'

"So, do you know what she ingested," came the dare the healer say frantic reply.

"Yes. It is only considered a poison because of what it causes the drinker to do. At least, an Avalonian drinker," the healer replied, digging into her bag for a white powder. She mixed it with a small bottle of water before tipping it down the human's throat. Poor thing. She didn't deserve this. The healer was old, older than most Avalonians, and did not bear the same dislike toward humans as many of her kind did.

"What did you give her," Oberon asked harshly. What if the healer had finished the job?

"A contraceptive. The poison your ward ingested is a highly dangerous aphrodisiac. If given to an Avalonian, it will force them to act on their desires, no matter the consent of their partner. But for a human, it causes their body to be consumed by desire, with can only be appeased by sexual activity," the healer said. Unfortunately, if the young human was not given sexual release, the fever would burn her from the inside out.

"Can't we just keep her body temperature under control until it passes," questioned Oberon. The thought of Amarha getting sexual satisfaction from anyone made him angry.

"No. The fever will burn her from the inside out. The only cure for a human is sex. Lots and lots of sex," said the healer with not a little bit of humor. The look on Oberon's face was a mix between longing and rage. She could guess why for both.

"Very well, then I'll ask you to leave us. Kylinia, make sure no one disturbs us until I say otherwise," came the curt commands.

"Yes, Lord Oberon," came the fairy's reply. At least he could trust her to make sure his orders were followed. The healer bowed before also exiting the room. Oberon closed and locked the door before turning to look at his ward. She was staring at him with glazed eyes, sweating and shivering.

"My Lord, it hurts," she cried, "Please make it stop."

Amarha couldn't believe what had come out of her mouth. But Goddess it hurt. Her whole body was sensitive to the most minute touch. The sight of Lord Oberon was causing this ache in her groin. She watched as he walked over to her. He sat on her bed before his hand sought that place that was causing so much turmoil. He slid his hand under her underwear, rubbing her clit while pushing a finger into her opening. The sensation was too much and she was cumming before she even fully registered he'd touched her.

Oberon watch fascinated as Amarha writhed through her orgasm. He could feel his cock swell with arousal at the sight. As she came back down from her high, she rose and quickly stripped, standing before his ward naked and erect. He once again came to the bed. He could see that her eyes were less glazed, but he could no longer deny his need.

Amarha felt Oberon slid a hand behind her back, bringing her up. He kissed her, plunging his tongue into her mouth, exploring its crevices. While he kissed her, he unsnapped her bra, freeing her breasts. The sensation of her nipples rubbing against Oberon's chest caused her to moan into the kiss. Releasing Amarha's mouth, he laid her back down on the bed.

Oberon just looked at her, hair splayed across the pillow, eyes heavy with desire, breasts heavy with each breath. They were heavy, perfect for his hands with dusky aureoles and peach colored skin. He bent, taking one into his mouth, scraping it with his teeth before releasing it with a snap. He watches as she arches up into the touch, gasping and moaning. It is almost more than he can take, but though she is being affected by the fever, Oberon was going to make her first time as good as possible.

He kissed her again, already addicted to her taste, tongue plundering her depths. Arms came up to encircle his neck, pulling him closer. He was happy to apply. Releasing her mouth, he began a trek down her body. He found her ears were particularly sensitive, and spent time nipping, suckling, and licking the shell before moving again. He once again played with her nipples, twisting one between his fingers as the other was tortured by his tongue. He bit, hard enough to leave teeth indentations. All she did was moan louder. The sound turned him on even more.

He'd always liked a little pain with his pleasure, but his _wife _wouldn't allow it. He should have known then that she was not for him. But here was a woman who arched _into_ his touch, no matter if it was painful or pleasurable. He scraped his teeth down her waist before coming to the edge of her panties. Grabbing the edge with his teeth, he eased the undergarment down. He used his hands to sweep them the rest of the way off her body. And stared.

The creature in front of him was exquisite. To think he'd been denying himself, unwilling to leave a woman who did not love him. Gently spreading Amarha's thighs, he brought his mouth down to her center, giving her a lick. The reaction was immediate and big. She shouted out in surprise, the sensation so intense she could barely think. Smirking, he continued his oral assault. He pleasured her with licks and kisses, suckling her clit and thrusting his tongue into her. She could feel the wave again and knew she was going to have an orgasm again. She tried to warm Oberon, pulling on his hair, but he just seemed to become more determined. Finally, she could hold it in anymore and came. And he was there drinking it all in. She tasted divine.

He was aching with the need to fill her. And that was exactly was he intended to do. Sliding up her body, he brought her legs up around his waist and kissed her, thrusting into her moist heat. They both moaned at the sensation. The smell of blood reach his nose, but it was minor. So, she'd been a virgin. That fact didn't surprise him. In fact, it brought a swell of satisfaction. Unable to hold back, he pulled out and plunged back in. Goddess she was tight. It was like a vice around his cock.

He continued plunging into her core, the feeling of being inside her overwhelming. She clung to him, meeting him thrust for thrust. He could feel the sweat on his brow and the tightening within signaling his release. He reached down, stroking her clit. It was all the stimulation she needed. And she clamped down on him, yelling out in pleasure. The feel of her getting even _tighter_ was it for him. He thrust once, twice, three times, seating himself fully inside her as his release filled her. Panting, he pulled out, willing the mess away with a thought.

He could hear her even breathing and realized she was asleep. Smiling, he settled behind her, molding her small frame to his larger one as he drew the covers over them. He cradled her head on his arm, the other coming to wrap possessively around her waist. Yes, today had been a day of many revelations. Perhaps he could have what he wanted and get rid of what he didn't.

Amarha woke up to the feeling of heat. The fever was back. She almost moaned in despair until she felt the touch at her waist. It quickly slid up to cup her chin, encouraging her to turn her head to the lips seeking hers. She knew who was touching her, but still found it unbelievable. She responded eagerly to the kiss. The hand hold her chin slid down to her thigh, guiding her to slide it up. And then she felt his cock poking at her entrance before sliding in.

She moaned into the kiss. She was maneuvered onto her knees with him behind her, his hands coming up to cup her breasts, kneading them as he thrust into her. The feeling was exquisite. His thrusting became more powerful, the sound of skin hitting skin filled the room. She arched her head back and around, her lips again being claimed by the man behind her. His pace was becoming erratic, and she could feel the tightening in her stomach that meant she was close. Two more powerful thrusts coupled with the hands kneading her breasts giving her nipples a yank and she was tumbling over that cliff again. The moment her walls clamped down on his cock, Oberon felt himself tumble over, emptying himself inside the woman before him.

Amarha could feel her senses dulling with exhaustion again, and quickly slipped back into the land of dreams. The next two days were much of the same. When she was awake, the fever took hold and Oberon would bring her over the edge again and again. When she was able to stay awake for a short time after their lovemaking, he would have her eat. Her body had never know such sensations. On the morning of the fourth day, it all came crashing down.

She woke and was surprised to not feel the fever. She was also relieved. While she enjoyed what she and Oberon had been doing, she missed the bonding that was expected when couples engaged in sexual activity. Between the sex itself and her exhaustion afterward, she and Oberon hadn't done much talking. She could hear voices outside her door and rose to investigate.

"I'm happy to hear she is doing well, Lord Oberon," came a feminine voice. She recognized the healer. While there were those in Avalon that looked down on her humanity, the healer had always treated her like someone with value, rather than a bug to be squashed.

"Yes, her fever has finally broken," came the curt reply. Her eyes cloudy with worry. He sounded...upset. That didn't bode well for anyone.

"Good. And how are you? Enjoying your...relationship with Amahra," asked the healer. Amarha quietly giggled into her hand. If only the healer knew. The next words out of Oberon's mouth abruptly stopped her merriment.

"I did what had to be done to keep the fever from killing her, nothing more," was the short response. She backed away from the door, disbelief feeling her. She'd...she'd thought...it didn't matter what she'd thought, only what was true. Returning to her bed, she laid down, suddenly wishing she was still asleep. Her door was opened, Oberon walking through before shutting it quietly behind him. She could see the surprise flash briefly across his face at seeing her awake.

"Good morning," he said, "How are you feeling?" He walked over and sat on the bed, bringing his hand up to check her forehead. Though she tried not to, she couldn't help but flinch at the touch. She felt him hesitate before settling his hand on her.

"I'm fine. Feeling much better," she replied. She watched him contemplate her, trying to figure out what had changed. Finally, he nodded and rose. He walked to the door, turning once again to look at her, something...off in his eyes.

She waited until she could no longer hear his footfalls before rising and entering her bathing chamber. For the next hour, she indulged in a bath, letting the warm water ease her muscles, thinking about what to do. And the answer came, easier than she'd thought. She would need to leave. She couldn't stay knowing her feelings for Oberon and his...lack...of feelings for her.

"Kylinia, I need you," she said calmly. The fairy would know she was needed no matter how far away. She could smell the magic as the fairy appeared in the bathroom. She couldn't help but smile.

"Amarha! You're all better," came the happy voice. She opened her eyes to see the fairy fluttering above her.

"Yes. And I have a favor to ask," she said. Better to just let it out there.

"I need to leave Avalon," she stated. The fairy practically froze with her shock. She couldn't blame her, Amarha hadn't expressed an interest in leaving Avalon since Kylinia had become her maid.

"What...Amarha...I, are you sure," came the tentative reply.

"Yes. I...I need to leave. Oberon...he...he'll hate me now," she whispered, tears filling her eyes.

"Oh, are you sure," answered the fairy. She had thought Oberon was finally going to admit his affection for Amarha.

"Yes, please," came the weak reply.

"Ok. I've got a friend in the human world. He'll take care of you. Be ready in an hour," Kylinia said firmly, already working out the best way to get Amarha out of Avalon.

The next hour passed quickly for Amarha. She packed a few belongings, wrote a note to Oberon, and was waiting patiently when Kylinia came back to her room. The little fairy had a bag attached to her waist. She took the bag and increased it's size. She reached inside and pulled out what looked like pure starlight. She was quickly dusted with the odd mixture. She felt a tingling sensation and the next moment she found herself standing on a roof looking out at a million lights. There was a gasp from behind her, causing her to turn abruptly.  
A woman was standing before her. She knew this woman. She'd seen her every day in the mirror. Except...this woman's eyes and hair were different. Her eyes...ocean blue with a ring of lavender with straight hair. Who...it could be...

"Mirah," she asked.

"Amarha."

Hello again. This story is starting to deviate slightly from what I had originally planned. Oh well. Sometimes you start writing, and the story takes a life of it's own! Read and review.

Sessluver


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